FIFA’s landmark investment and the 2025 Club World Cup spotlight Africa’s growing impact on world football.
KINSHASA, DRC — African football is entering a bold new chapter. Since 2016, the FIFA Forward Programme has invested over USD 1 billion into the continent’s football development—an unprecedented commitment reaffirmed by FIFA President Gianni Infantino at the 47th CAF Ordinary General Assembly in Kinshasa.
Infantino, addressing delegates from all 54 African FIFA Member Associations, underscored the role of football as a vehicle for hope, opportunity, and transformation across Africa. “Football has a duty to be a source of dreams for every young African,” he stated, emphasizing the sport’s unique power to inspire and unite.
CAF President Patrice Motsepe praised FIFA’s continued support, highlighting the historic inclusion of four African clubs in the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup 2025™: Al Ahly SC (Egypt), Espérance Sportive de Tunis (Tunisia), Mamelodi Sundowns FC (South Africa), and Wydad AC (Morocco). The expanded 32-team format gives African teams a rare global stage to showcase their talent and ambition against the world’s best.
However, Africa’s footprint extends far beyond the four clubs. Infantino revealed that players from 19 African nations featured in the Club World Cup rosters. Notably, nine of those countries, Burkina Faso, Congo, Gabon, Guinea, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, and Uganda, have yet to make a FIFA World Cup™ appearance, signaling a broadening pipeline of emerging talent.
“The tournament was a huge success, not just for the four African teams, but for African football as a whole,” Infantino said. “This representation shows how deeply rooted and globally competitive Africa’s football ecosystem is becoming.”
Launched in 2016, the FIFA Forward Programme was designed to democratize football development by supporting all 211 FIFA Member Associations and confederations with targeted funding for infrastructure, competitions, and day-to-day operations. For Africa, the impact has been transformative, from new pitches and stadium upgrades to youth leagues and technical centers.
With momentum building and global visibility rising, African football is no longer a sleeping giant, it is wide awake, invested, and ready to shape the future of the world’s game.
