Seedorf, who is the only player to have won the UEFA Champions League with three different clubs, is one of three big name players to join along with FIFA Women’s World Cup winner Abby Wambach of the United States and former captain of the German national team, Thomas Hitzlsperger.

Other additions include FIFA Council member Constant Omari, managing director of the Centre for Access to Football in Europe, Joyce Cook, and President of the Mexican National Council for the Prevention of Discrimination, Alexandra Haas Paciuc.

They will join the five other members already elected; FIFA Council member Moya Dodd, anti-discrimination campaigner and former Presidential candidate Tokyo Sexwale, American Samoan international Jaiyah Saelua, Ghanaian-born German former footballer Gerald Asamoah, and the executive director of FIFA partner Fare Network Piara Powar.

The annual award will recognise an outstanding organisation, group initiative or football personality that is standing up for diversity and anti-discrimination in football on a national or international level and on a sustained basis.

It is part of the set of recommendations made by the FIFA Task Force against Racism and Discrimination, which include other projects such as the support provided to all 209 member associations in their fight against discrimination.

"All candidates competing to win the FIFA Diversity Award are already 'winners' for me, as they are all standing up to create better living conditions for minorities and people who suffer discrimination," said Seedorf, who won one Champions League with Ajax in 1995, one with Real Madrid in 1998 and two with AC Milan in 2003 and 2007. 

Every year, the "11 for Diversity" team will select three exceptional candidates from a variety of projects and programmes implemented by organisations, group initiatives and individuals.

The three finalists and ultimate winner of the FIFA Diversity Award will be presented to the public every July on behalf of FIFA by members of the "11 for Diversity" jury and a prominent figure from the world of football.

In this first edition, the selection of nominees to be submitted to the jury members will be made by the FIFA administration through its anti-discrimination experts in the sustainability department.

In future editions, member associations and the general public will also be invited to suggest organisations and individuals to the jury.

"While discrimination in all its forms and complexity remains a barrier to the full and integrated development of human communities, football is the principal medium through which we can hope to achieve unity," said Omari.

"To do this, the FIFA Diversity Award will encourage the promotion of values the spread of which will surely mitigate the consequences of this despicable practice to create a better world, one that is based on merit, equal opportunities and equal rights."