FIFA provides financial and logistical support to its 211 Member Associations (MAs) through various programmes. Inside FIFA takes a look at the extraordinary work that has been done in recent weeks to promote, strengthen, and make football truly global. 

FIFA President Gianni Infantino announced that more FIFA Arena mini-pitches are to be built worldwide as he opened the first temporary pitch in Paris. The introduction of these mobile facilities gives the project additional flexibility.

The mini-pitch on the famous Place de la Concorde in the centre of the French capital was inaugurated with a match featuring prominent participants, including the FIFA President, FIFA legends and other guests. The game marked the start of a three-day event focusing on the global need for football infrastructure.

With the launch of the FUFA Academies League, the Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) has taken a further step towards structuring youth football in the country. The competition is aimed at Uganda’s training centres and is intended to provide young players with a regular competitive framework, enabling better monitoring of their progress and talent identification.

The pilot project is part of the momentum driven by the FIFA Talent Development Scheme (TDS) and enables the structuring of development pathways – from the identification of young players (particularly those aged 9 to 11) through to their progression into top-level football. By promoting competitions, technical standards and appropriate support, this programme plays a key role in the professionalisation of youth development.

FUFA takes a holistic approach that goes beyond competition: it oversees and regulates training centres through a licensing and classification system. The new league is a practical tool for implementing these standards, identifying the best talent and supplying the youth national teams. Backed by the vision and resources of the FIFA Talent Development Programme, this initiative demonstrates how MAs can build sustainable ecosystems by placing training and talent identification at the heart of their development strategy.

The launch event of FIFA's innovative “Football for Schools” (F4S) programme took place in Athens, Greece at the beginning of March. The programme is being implemented by the Hellenic Football Federation in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Sport and the General Secretariat for Sport.

The FIFA team in attendance, which included Bulgaria legend Hristo Stoichkov, presented the programme’s philosophy and structure, as well as its key digital tool, the 'Football for Schools’ app, which supports teachers in implementing the activities as part of the school day. To round off the first day, the programme’s content was put into practice at the Near East Stadium.

The programme is being implemented at 41 schools in various regions of Greece, including Chios, Crete, Evros, Florina, Ithaca, Milos, Pella, Rhodes and Thessaly. A significant expansion is planned for the coming school year with more than 500 schools across the country set to take part. The aim is to further strengthen the link between football and education and to instil the values of sport in pupils in a lasting way.

The FIFA Elite Goalkeeping Coaching Course came to a successful conclusion in Nairobi, Kenya in March. Over a five-day period, goalkeeping coaches from the men’s and women’s leagues took part in an intensive workshop that offered them a practical yet in-depth learning experience. The focus was on modern training methods, professional exchange and the further development of individual coaching skills.

The course was organised by the technical department of the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) as part of the FIFA Talent Development Scheme (TDS). The aim of the initiative was to provide a specialised training programme designed to improve and standardise goalkeeper training standards in the long term. Particular emphasis was placed on young talent and the optimisation of their development pathway at national level.

Football in the Kyrgyz Republic has undergone remarkable development over the past three years – since the country joined the FIFA Talent Development Scheme. Numerous major infrastructure projects have been launched, and a National Academy has also been established, which now supports four age groups of boys (2010–2014) as well as a girls’ team comprising three combined age groups.

The technical department of the Kyrgyz Football Union (KFU) has also undergone a comprehensive reorganisation following the appointment of a new technical director. Furthermore, the TDS played a central role in establishing a talent identification system that is unique in the country.

In the latest and particularly exciting development, the KFU has now become the 54th MA to decide to open a FIFA Talent Academy.

The ongoing FIFA Coach Educators Development Pathway Assessment was held in the Rwandan capital of Kigali this month. The week-long programme brought together 19 coach educators and coaches from across Africa in a major step toward strengthening coach education standards on the continent.

The assessment brought together participants from nine MAs: Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Kenya, Mauritius, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Sudan and Uganda. The diversity of representation reflects FIFA’s commitment to raising technical standards across the continent. “I have a dream that one day, African countries will be coached by Africans, and African children will no longer feel that they must leave the continent to develop their talents," said Fabrice Ngoga Shema, President of the Rwanda Football Federation (FERWAFA). "Some countries have already shown that this is possible. Senegal is a good example, and Zambia too, with its legend Kalusha Bwalya in the recent past."

Rwanda successfully launched the FIFA Talent Development Scheme at the Kamena Stadium in Butare.

Speaking at the launch, the Second Vice President Richard Mugisha pledged FERWAFA’s full support to rising young talents. “Through the FIFA TDS programme, we are creating a structured pathway for young players to develop and reach higher levels of the game.”

The second FIFA Safeguarding Summit was held in Zurich, Switzerland, brought together approximately 170 participants, including experts from UNICEF, UNESCO and the Council of Europe, focused on the need to strengthen the “duty of care” towards those at risk of being harmed through their football activities. The event also provided the opportunity to celebrate the graduation of a new global cohort of 123 safeguarding focal points.

Opening the event, Mr Infantino emphasised that the protective framework of the game is fundamental to its success. “Football is only able to play that incredible inclusive role if we ensure that the game, whether it is played in a park, on a beach, a local league, or in the biggest stadiums in the world, is played in a safe environment for everyone,” he said.