FIFA President Gianni Infantino has praised Rwanda for successfully hosting the FIFA Series 2026, highlighting the country’s growing role in global football development.
In a message shared on his social media platforms, Infantino commended Rwanda for organising and hosting the six-day international friendly tournament held in Kigali, which brought together eight national teams from different continents.
The tournament, played from March 26 to 30, concluded with Rwanda’s national team, Amavubi, emerging winners of Group A, while Aruba topped Group B.
Infantino described the event as a successful week of football, applauding Rwanda’s organisation and hospitality towards the participating teams. He also welcomed the launch of key development initiatives, including the FIFA Arena project introduced at Kagarama Secondary School, aimed at expanding access to quality football infrastructure.
He further highlighted FIFA’s “Boots for All” initiative, which seeks to provide football boots to young players, stressing the importance of proper equipment in nurturing talent.
The FIFA president also commended Rwanda’s football authorities, including FERWAFA and the Ministry of Sports, for advancing infrastructure projects under the FIFA Forward programme. These include the inauguration of a new hotel facility to support national teams across men’s, women’s, and youth categories.
Infantino concluded by expressing appreciation to President Paul Kagame for his leadership and support in implementing football development initiatives, describing Rwanda as a key partner in advancing the sport in Africa and a model for other nations.
Rwanda and FIFA maintain a strong partnership across various development programmes, with Kigali hosting FIFA’s regional office for football development since 2021.
