In international football, what does the abbreviation FIFA officially stand for?

Introduction / Context:
FIFA is the global governing body of association football, which administers major competitions such as the FIFA World Cup. Many exam questions test the expansion of common international abbreviations. This question focuses on correctly identifying what FIFA stands for in its official name.

Given Data / Assumptions:
- The abbreviation under discussion is FIFA.
- It refers to the top body for international football.
- Four possible expansions are provided, some of which are misleading.
- Only one option matches the official French name of the organisation.

Concept / Approach:
FIFA is derived from the French phrase Fédération Internationale de Football Association. Even though English speakers often describe it as the International Federation of Association Football, the official name remains in French. Many incorrect expansions rearrange the words or replace association with activities or similar sounding terms. The correct answer is the one that reproduces the French title accurately.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that FIFA is historically based in Switzerland and uses French as one of its working languages. Step 2: Remember the common expansion used in textbooks: Fédération Internationale de Football Association. Step 3: Compare each option with this known expansion and check the sequence of words. Step 4: Identify option B, Fédération Internationale de Football Association, as the exact match.

Verification / Alternative check:
One way to verify is to note that the initial letters of the French words correspond to F (Fédération), I (Internationale), F (Football) and A (Association). Any option that uses Federal instead of Fédération or changes Association to Activities or Associations in plural form deviates from the authentic name. Therefore, only option B reflects the official expansion correctly.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
- Federal International Football Association: Uses Federal instead of Fédération and rearranges the phrase, so it is not the actual name.
- Federation of International Football Activities: Replaces Association with Activities and misorders the words, making it incorrect.
- Federation of International Federation Associations: Does not mention football at all and is clearly unrelated to the sports body.

Common Pitfalls:
Many learners try to translate the abbreviation purely into English and end up writing International Federation of Football Association, which is not the standard official form. Others may get confused by the word Association and replace it with Activities or something similar. In examinations, carefully check that the expansion includes both Football and Association in the correct order and reflects the French origin of the acronym.

Final Answer:
The abbreviation FIFA stands for Fédération Internationale de Football Association.