Chad Opens First FIFA Arena As Country Plans 23 Mini-Pitches

Chad has inaugurated its first FIFA Arena mini-pitch in Koumra, marking the country’s entry into FIFA’s global project aimed at expanding access to safe and accessible football facilities for young people.

The facility, installed at School 15 in Koumra in southern Chad, was inaugurated on Wednesday and becomes the first FIFA Arena in the country.

The project brings Chad into a growing list of African FIFA Member Associations benefiting from the initiative, with 142 FIFA Arenas now inaugurated worldwide.

The Chadian government has pledged to install 23 FIFA Arenas across the country, with one planned for each region.

The Koumra facility is expected to benefit about 5,000 children in a city that previously had no comparable sports facility. It will provide young people with a free and accessible venue to play football in a safe environment.

The inauguration was attended by Chad’s Minister of Youth and Sports, Naïr Abakar; officials of the Chadian Football Federation (FTFA); FIFA Deputy Chief of Member Associations Gelson Fernandes; FIFA Regional Development Manager Franciny Samba-Malanda; and FIFA Arena Project Manager Karishma Inayat.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino said the project was designed to ensure children, particularly those in disadvantaged communities, had access to suitable places to play football.

“Every girl and every boy who wants to play football deserves to be able to do so in a safe place, where everyone can learn, play, and grow,” Infantino said.

Chad’s Minister of Youth and Sports said the country had football talent that needed suitable facilities to develop.

“Talent is everywhere in Chad. Our responsibility is to give it a pitch to express itself on,” Abakar said.

FTFA President Tahir Oloy Hassan said the facility represented a step towards rebuilding Chadian football from grassroots level.

“The refoundation of Chadian football requires concrete action for our youth,” Hassan said.

Fernandes described the Koumra facility as more than a football pitch, saying it would provide children with a durable and safe environment to develop their skills.

Other African Member Associations to have benefited from the FIFA Arena project include Algeria, Comoros, Djibouti, The Gambia, Liberia, Morocco, Niger and Rwanda.

The FIFA Arena project was officially launched at the 75th FIFA Congress in Asunción, Paraguay, in May 2025. It is part of FIFA’s wider plan to increase access to football facilities across its 211 Member Associations.

FIFA aims to establish 1,000 mini-pitches by 2031, particularly in disadvantaged urban and rural communities.

The project is also intended to provide community spaces that support youth development, health and gender equality, while using football to promote social inclusion and community engagement.