–FIFA President says, hails Guyana’s transformation over past decade
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has emphasised that the Guyana he has returned to is barely recognisable from the one he last saw nearly a decade ago, praising President Irfaan Ali’s leadership as he announced fresh investment in the country’s football.
“I came here last time, 10 years ago, nine years ago. It’s a different country,” Infantino said, adding: “You bring in a vision, everything is new, everything is transformed.”
He described President Ali as a “disruptor” who nonetheless “cares about his people,” and as “a visionary that [sic] puts in practice the vision that he has.”
He added, with a touch of humour, that he is “a little bit like that as well, in my little football world.”
Infantino said he spent the day with government ministers, the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) and supporters of the game, and was told football is the country’s number one sport “or getting there.”
He said FIFA’s message is that football is “for everyone, everywhere, in every corner of the world,” but that the organisation must back words with action.
“We cannot just make statements and then stay behind,” he said. “We have to act, we have to work, we have to invest.” He identified two priorities for FIFA: creating opportunities and finding the resources to deliver them.
He said Guyana can serve as a showcase for the wider football world, given its position between South America, North America, Central America and the Caribbean, and its status as headquarters of CARICOM.
Infantino said a FIFA mini pitch was inaugurated at the FIFA Arenas during the visit, and that 10 have been built under the programme. He told Ali that “together, we can find partners, sponsors to build even more than 10.”
President Ali said the government will partner with FIFA to deliver 10 pitches across Guyana. He said FIFA had offered to fund the pitches, but Guyana chose to co-invest.
The ministry will put the foundations in place using a design already prepared, then work directly with FIFA to install the pitches. He attributed the idea to Infantino and FIFA, saying it came out of conversations between the two leaders.
Infantino said FIFA will also invest in talent academies, grassroots programmes and competitions in Guyana. Referring to the Under-15 World Cup FIFA staged last week, he said the event showed the talent in this part of the world.
“What is missing for a boy or a girl, born in this part of the world, to have more opportunities and chances to become one of the top players? What is missing is infrastructure and competitions. And we will invest together in both.”
He said FIFA would work with the football community to create new competitions and events “relevant for this Region” that give young players the chance “to perform at the highest level and to shine at the highest level.”
“This, for me, is our mission,” Infantino said, adding: “Give hope, give opportunities, give dreams, but make sure that the dreams can come true.”
President Ali used the occasion to ask for FIFA’s help in developing a flagship tournament. He said the visit gives both sides a chance to agree before the end of the year on the best tournament to bring to Guyana, even if it means working with FIFA for three years to develop it before opening it to the wider Region.
The tournament, Ali said, must be “world-class, high-class,” drawing the attention of the Western Hemisphere and tapping into television rights and the FIFA ecosystem. He said he would like a first edition launched next year.
“It is ensuring that the entire economy around football can be built for the Region, with Guyana, starting here in Guyana,” he said.
President Ali said his government has been investing heavily in sport, building stadiums and training facilities and supporting the GFF.
He said the federation has received more backing in the past four to five years than from any government in Guyana’s history, “without a shadow of a doubt,” and that the support is lasting.
“We know there’s an economy around football and if we do it right, the economy around football, around sports, can lead to massive economic and social gains in our society,” he said.
President Ali welcomed the FIFA president as “a legend of smaller countries,” crediting him with bridging gaps and creating “an equal environment for nations, clubs, and individuals.”
He credited FIFA’s expanded World Cup with opening the competition to many small nations, which he said “did not disappoint.” “It shows that where there is a vision, talent will always meet that vision,” he said.
He also said Infantino has been unusually accessible. After the two exchanged numbers, Ali said, every call was answered or returned. “It was never for pleasantry,” he said. Those conversations, he added, produced the pitches programme.
The president thanked Infantino for choosing to visit small footballing nations, noting: “With a message of hope, a message of investment, a message of opportunity, and a message that no one will be left behind in the football world.”
