FIFA President Gianni Infantino has met with the President of the Football Federation of Turkmenistan (TFF), and held constructive talks across a wide scope of local and regional football development topics. Mr Infantino welcomed President Arslan Aynazarov – who led a three-person delegation including Vice President Shatlyk Orazgylyjov – for the meeting in Doha, Qatar.

As well as discussing the upcoming FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, which begins on 20 November 2022 when Qatar play Ecuador in Al Khor, the delegation also discussed football development matters in Turkmenistan, football’s continued recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and how best FIFA could continue to offer its support, locally and regionally.

Speaking after the meeting, President Aynazarov said: “This was my first meeting with Mr. Infantino after being elected as the president. I’m happy. We were very pleased with how he received us and with the fact that he was aware of all our issues.”

President Aynazarov continued: “It is important for us that FIFA has always supported us. Football will not develop in Turkmenistan without their support. Thank you to FIFA that they have always supported us.” President Aynazarov has led the TFF since his election in January 2021. Before being unanimously elected as President, he served as General Secretary from September 2018. In 2019 he was also elected as Vice President of the Central Asian Football Association.