The FIFA Series groups released by World Football governing body (FIFA) on Monday, January 19, pooled Rwanda in the same group as Kenya's Harambee Stars, Estonia and Grenada. The 2026 Men’s FIFA Series, which will take place in the CAF zone from March 23 to 31, will bring together eight countries divided into two groups. While Rwanda, Kenya, Estonia and Grenada are in Group A, Group B will feature Aruba, Liechtenstein, Macau and Tanzania. These matches will bring together national teams for both men and women who rarely play friendly matches or qualify for major international tournaments. They are part of FIFA’s 2023-2027 programme, which aims to develop the game at a global level. According to the full line-up released by FIFA, forty-eight national teams from all six FIFA confederations are set to compete, representing almost a quarter of global football community. Rwanda is among 11 FIFA Member Associations which will host 12 groups engaging both men’s and women’s national teams. Rwanda is the only country which will host two groups. Other confirmed hosts for the men’s groups are Australia, Azerbaijan, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, New Zealand, Puerto Rico and Uzbekistan. The women’s contests will take place in Brazil, Côte d’Ivoire and Thailand. All matches will be broadcast globally, improving access for fans and boosting visibility for national teams. Five men’s national teams participating in the FIFA Series 2026 – Australia, Cabo Verde, Curaçao, New Zealand and Uzbekistan – have qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2026™, further highlighting the competitive relevance of the initiative alongside its development objectives. The FIFA Series also continues to support holistic football development off the pitch. Hosting and Participating Member Associations benefit from hands-on experience in event delivery, operational planning, referee development and competition organisation, mirroring the conditions of major international tournaments and strengthening capacity across multiple functional areas. The FIFA Series 2026 remains fully aligned with FIFA’s Strategic Objectives for the Global Game: 2023-2027, providing national teams with opportunities for cross-confederation competition without adding fixtures to the international match calendar, while promoting technical growth, organisational development and global exchange.
