Côte d’Ivoire and FIFA united by a long-standing commitment to football development
FIFA Forward funding supporting infrastructure upgrades
Women’s football and youth development central to projects across the country
Strength lies in unity. It may sound like something of a cliché, but football is the ultimate team sport. In Côte d’Ivoire, FIFA and the Ivorian Football Association (FIF) have worked side by side for several years on a range of initiatives aimed at growing the game. The FIFA Series 2026™ women’s event, held in Abidjan in April, was a case in point.
The inaugural edition was a resounding success for the hosts, who lifted the title, while also underlining the strides being made in one of the game’s fastest-growing areas. “The FIFA Series 2026 women’s event, which we hosted and won earlier this year, had a significant impact on women’s football in Côte d’Ivoire,” said FIF President Yacine Idriss Diallo. The tournament’s success reflects a wider partnership with FIFA spanning several schemes, including Football for Schools.
“We joined the Football for Schools programme in 2022. It enables girls and boys in Côte d’Ivoire to develop life skills, become more independent and learn through football,” he continued. “What better way to help shape the generations of tomorrow? Other projects are also under way and will be inaugurated soon.”
The FIF has been preparing for the future for some time. With FIFA’s backing, it has laid the foundations for long-term development. The upgrade of the national technical centre in Bingerville, completed in 2025 with support from the FIFA Forward programme, is a prime example. A total of USD 4,341,743 was invested in the project. “This facility is vital to the development of elite men’s and women’s football in our country, which is bursting with talent,” he stressed.
Côte d’Ivoire look to the future with state-of-the-art training centre renovation
The project involved renovating existing infrastructure, including a swimming pool, and constructing new facilities tailored to the demands of top-level football. These include a medical area, an accommodation block, a gym and a dedicated training building. The centre hosts national teams of all age groups as well as local clubs, while providing an ideal environment for scouting and developing young talent.
“With support from FIFA Forward, we have also installed two artificial-turf pitches at the Yopougon and Abobo sports complexes, giving the local community – particularly amateur clubs and young football enthusiasts – the chance to play in better conditions,” he added. The two projects received investments of USD 524,215 and USD 513,000 respectively.
Taken together, the investments reflect FIFA’s football development priorities, which lie at the heart of the FIFA President’s Strategic Objectives for the Global Game: 2023-2027. FIFA’s support for Côte d’Ivoire puts those priorities into practice, with the construction and modernisation of fit-for-purpose infrastructure helping to professionalise the game and nurture the next generation of talent.
“We cannot overlook everything FIFA is doing for Ivorian football through its various development programmes,” said Diallo, before concluding: “Our ties and collaboration with FIFA have always been strong, and they will remain so. Together, we will continue to help Ivorian football shine on the national, continental and global stages.”
Côte d’Ivoire’s U-15s, the Eléphanteaux, will have the chance to do just that in the coming weeks at the FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival 2026™, to be held in Azerbaijan from 24 to 30 October. The following month, their older counterparts will take part in the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2026™. The two tournaments will provide further evidence of a simple truth: together, we go further.