FIFA Forward

During the 2019-2022 cycle, FIFA Forward provided each MA with investment of USD 6 million to finance operational needs and development projects.

In terms of the breakdown of this figure, each MA had access to USD 1m per year to cover operational and running costs and was also entitled to USD 2 million over the cycle, with priority being placed on football infrastructure-related projects, such as pitches, technical centres, training grounds, stadiums and headquarters. Such projects had to be tailored to the MA’s agreed objectives.

A further USD 1 million was allocated to MAs with an annual revenue of USD 4 million or less to support their travel and equipment needs.

The six continental confederations each received USD 12 million per year, while regional associations were entitled to USD 1 million per year.

At the 72nd FIFA Congress, held in Doha on 31 March 2022, President Infantino announced a 29% increase in FIFA Forward 3.0 funding, which is due to be launched in 2023. As a result, each MA will receive approximately USD 8 million over a four year period, which represents a sevenfold increase on the amount distributed prior to 2016.

The past year provided many examples of funding for various FIFA Forward projects across a wide range of nationsacross all six confederations.

Nations across the continent of Africa benefitted from numerous projects in 2022. Cameroon’s National Technical Centre in Odza continues to grow under Cameroonian Football Association President, Indomitable Lions legend Samuel Eto’o. It is a similar story in Tunisia, where the FTF’s Technical Centre received a facelift in the form of a sport and health unit and accommodation facilities.

A FIFA delegation also travelled to Liberia and toured ongoing projects, namely
the construction of new association headquarters and the refurbishment of the Antoinette Tubman Stadium (ATS) in Monrovia. Liberia’s national arena, the Samuel Kanyon Doe Stadium, which backs on to the ATS, has also benefitted from extensive redevelopment work, which is motivated by a desire to broaden the appeal of the city’s main football venue and the focal point of the local football community.

In Sierra Leone, a three-year hiatus ended with the new Women’s Premier League established with a 12-team competition for the first time.

Funding has also contributed to the development of women’s football in Morocco. The North African country hosted the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in July 2022, and the runners- up spot secured by the Atlas Lionesses was enough to see them land a place at the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™, which will be the team’s first-ever appearance on the game’s biggest stage.

FIFA Forward was also instrumental in the launch of national youth leagues in Senegal, which aim to enhance the competitive level of the nation’syouth players. The competitions, run at U-15, U-17 and U-20 levels for boys and in the U-15 and U-17 age groups for girls, are operated as year-round leagues that are contested across the 14regions that make up the western African country.

Exemplifying the diversity of nations benefitting from FIFA Forward is the world’s most populous continent, Asia. Significant strides are being taken in the tiny Himalayan nation of Bhutan, where a range of recent projects was headlined by the inauguration of the first-ever football academy for boys at Changjiji in mid-2022. Less than three months later, another major milestone was reached with the groundbreaking ceremony for the new association headquarters.

It was a similar scenario for another ambitious football nation, the Philippines, with the Philippines Football Federation hosting a high- profile groundbreaking ceremony in July for its new world-class facilities and headquarters.

FIFA Forward can also have a more immediate impact on on-pitch development though, with Japan notably using some funding for their ever-impressive player production line. The annual Prince Takamado Trophy JFA U-18 Premier League has produced dozens of top players, including Gaku Shibasaki, who represented his country at Qatar 2022. Meanwhile, Singapore’s FIFA-supported VAR introduction aided the development of Muhammad Taqi Aljaafari Bin Jahari, with the highly regarded referee featuring at Qatar 2022 as a video match official.

The Mongolian Football Federation Football Centre, which hosts men’s national-team matches, underwent an environmentally friendly pitch renovation, which involved the use of cork, as opposed to rubber, to refill the infill layer.

In Europe, Forward funding has contributed to the development of football in Poland by enabling the Polish Football Association to add the Central Youth League to its youth football provision. The competition, which comprises men’s and women’s leagues at U-15, U-17 and U-19 levels, seeks to streamline standards in the country’s youth leagues while providing the next generation of elite talent with opportunities to compete against one another.

Elsewhere, the Football Centre of Excellence at the Vale Resort in Hensol, Wales, and the country’s National Football DevelopmentCentre in Wrexham are central to the efforts to propel the Welsh game to the next level, with both facilities having received financial supportfrom FIFA Forward.

FIFA Forward funding can take many guises, as was the case inthe Concacaf region in November 2022, with all 22 Caribbean member associations attending a workshopto receive information and tools to help implement FIFA’s flagship development programme.

One such regional island nationto have benefitted is Barbados, where the pitches at the national stadium and national training centre are undergoing upgrades. Cuba, meanwhile, had dual reason for celebration in February as they earned a FIFA Women’s World Cup™ qualifier win on their brand-new world-class all-weather pitch at the Estadio Antonio Maceo in Santiago. In Puerto Rico, the first boys’ U-13, U-15 and U-17 competitions were conducted thanks to financial and technical support from FIFA Forward.

A major project in Paraguay headlined the activity in South America, where FIFA President Gianni Infantino attended the opening of a state-of-the-art high-performance training centre for women’s national teams. Meanwhile, in Argentina, the first edition of the FIFA-funded Copa Federal took place, a women’s football tournament that brought together more than 400 clubs from 44 leagues across the country.