President of Guyana, Dr. Irfaan Ali, and FIFA President Gianni Infantino held discussions recently, mainly focusing on the installation of mini arenas in Guyana, particularly targeting hinterland communities.
The discussion, which also included His Royal Highness, Prince Abdulaziz Bin Turki Bin Faizal Al Saud, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Sport, took place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where Dr Ali is attending the ninth edition of the Future Investment Initiative (FII9).
The push for mini-pitches is directly linked to the FIFA Arena Program, a flagship global initiative aimed at establishing at least 1,000 new mini-pitches worldwide by the time of the FIFA Congress in 2031.
Its core mission is to prioritize communities and schools that are at a disadvantage, especially in underprivileged urban and rural areas, by providing safe, accessible spaces for children to play, learn, and grow. Football is intended to promote inclusion, education, and positive change.
Dr. Ali confirmed his government’s support for developing and installing several mini pitches in Guyana as part of the FIFA Arena program.
President of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF), Wayne Forde, has already announced a “transformational project” to install the first two state-of-the-art mini-pitches under the FIFA Arena Project.
The two pitches will be installed at Haslington, designated for the East Demerara Football Association (EDFA), and at Retrieve, designated for Linden’s Upper Demerara Football Association (UDFA).
According to Forde, the pitches, which Edel Grass BV of the Netherlands manufactures, have already been shipped and are scheduled to arrive in Guyana on Dec.3, 2025.
A FIFA team and the manufacturer will manage the installation, testing, and commissioning of these initial facilities.
Each pitch costs US$98,000 (G$21 million).
