IN a significant move to boost grassroots football and community development, President Dr. Irfaan Ali has advanced discussions with FIFA President, Gianni Infantino, regarding a vital Government/FIFA partnership focused on installing mini-arenas, particularly targeting hinterland communities.
The discussions took place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where President Ali is attending the ninth edition of the Future Investment Initiative (FII9).
The meeting included His Royal Highness Prince Abdulaziz Bin Turki Bin Faizal Al Saud, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Sport, underscoring the high-level engagement on the initiative.
This push for mini-pitches is directly linked to the FIFA Arena programme, a flagship global initiative aimed at establishing at least 1,000 new mini-pitches worldwide by the time of the FIFA Congress in 2031.
FIFA President Infantino confirmed the programme during the International Summit on Sports for Sustainable Development in Paris in July 2024.
Its core mission prioritises underserved communities and schools, especially in disadvantaged urban and rural areas, by providing safe, accessible spaces for children to play, learn, and grow. Football is intended to catalyse inclusion, education, and positive change.
This high-level meeting builds on recent developments.

In mid-October 2025, President Ali confirmed his government’s support for developing and installing several mini-pitches in Guyana next year as part of the FIFA Arena programme, following a phone conversation with President Infantino on a Sunday.
Infantino
Under President Wayne Forde, the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) has already announced a “transformational project” to install the first two state-of-the-art all-weather mini-pitches under the FIFA Arena Project.
Location 1: Haslington, earmarked for the East Demerara Football Association (EDFA).
Location 2: Retrieve, designated for Linden’s Upper Demerara Football Association (UDFA).
According to the GFF boss, the pitches, manufactured by Edel Grass BV of the Netherlands, have already been shipped and are scheduled to arrive in Guyana on December 3, 2025.
Each pitch costs US$98,000 (G$21 million).
A FIFA team and the manufacturer will handle the installation, testing, and commissioning of these initial facilities. Subsequently, management, maintenance, and operations will fall under the respective Regional Associations, guided by clear GFF policies and regulations.

This partnership between the Government, FIFA, and the GFF marks a major step toward providing accessible, quality infrastructure, laying a strong foundation for the future of Guyanese football, especially in historically overlooked regions.