The past half-decade has been characterised by a massive rise in football development worldwide, a new report by the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) has shown. The report showed that an approximate $ 2.8 billion was made available for the development of sports across the world between 2016 and 2023. With this, FIFA Forward funded over 1,600 specific projects, a third of which relate to football infrastructure. ALSO READ: Ferwafa hotel complete, ready for operations Africa has been a major beneficiary of FIFA's developmental schemes. In 2020 alone, the world football governing body rolled out eight programs to help in the development of the sport on the continent. Such programs include La Balle aux Prisonniers in Cote D'Ivoire, Play Soccer Ghana, Angaza Sports and Development centre in Kenya and Futebol da Força in Mozambique. On a specific note, Rwanda has been on the forefront of FIFA’s support in the CECAFA zone. For instance, in March 2023, the government of Rwanda and FIFA launched a schools' football program in Kigali, an initiative estimated to cost $ 100 million. In addition, with FIFA’s support, a 42-room accommodation facility worth $4.7 million has been constructed in Kigali. It was inaugurated in March 2023 by FIFA boss Gianni Infantino. It will serve as a camping place for various national teams when they come to Rwanda. Annually, FIFA contributes up to $3.4 million to Rwanda's football for administrative and guidance, $ 2.5 million for infrastructure, and $1.6 million for the different national teams. Furthermore, $900,000 is disbursed for equipment, $800,000 for competitions, $300,000 for the development of women's football and another $300,000 for capacity development. In general, during the first seven years of FIFA Forward, the institution disbursed approximately $2.8 billion to the 211 FIFA member associations, the six confederations, and various zonal or regional associations, and funded more than 1,600 specific projects with a long-term impact on football development. “We pledged that revenues generated by football would be used for the benefit of our sport all around the world, for girls and boys, women and men, and we were as good as our word,” said Infantino. “Investment in football is both our responsibility and our obligation, and through FIFA Forward we have the structure to do that in a viable and transparent way. The outcome has been a sevenfold increase in investment since 2016 – during a spell in which FIFA’s revenues have not even doubled. This shows that funding is not only being delivered correctly, but it is being monitored and implemented to ensure the sustainable development of football for the long term, he added. From 2023, FIFA Forward promises to go an extra mile by delivering more improved facilities for football development. Each FIFA Member Association is eligible to receive up to $8 million per four-year cycle, with additional funding available for confederations and zonal or regional associations.
