Comoros latest African beneficiary of FIFA Arena project

Comoros has become the latest African beneficiary of the FIFA Arena project with the inauguration of two mini-pitches on Saturday, 18 April 2026, across the country.

The milestone event, a collaborative effort between FIFA, Government of Comoros and the French Development Agency (AFD), saw the two pitches Mbude Ya Djuu and Ntsaweni, located in Anjouan and Ngazidja respectively opened to the public amidst fanfare.

The historic inauguration ensures Comoros becomes the seventh African Member Association (MA) to benefit from the global project targeted at enhancing football infrastructure and social impact initiatives.

The other MA’s are Algeria, Djibouti, Liberia, Morocco, Niger and Rwanda.

In a video message, FIFA President Gianni Infantino described the event as a momentous occasion for football growth across Comoros especially youth and women’s football development.

“Today we celebrate the inauguration of the FIFA Arena project on your beautiful islands. This program featuring 10-mini pitches distributed across Ngazidja, Anjouan and Moheli is the result of a strong collaboration between FIFA, Governent of the Union of Comoros and the AFD whom I sincerely thank.

“These pitches are more than just places to play; they are platforms for growth. They will serve as hubs for our FIFA Football for Schools programme, women’s football development, and youth talent pathways.”

FIFA Council Member, Kanizat Ibrahim steered the inauguration with the support of President of the Comoros Football Federation, Said Ali Athouman, Government officials and representatives of AFD.

Over 250 kids from the Bambao (Anjouan) took part in the event which marked the beginning of a new journey for football in the country which will also help to shape theor dreams for the future.