FIFA is committed to creating further opportunities for African talent to shine on the global stage and build upon the performances at the FIFA World Cup 2026™, where nine out of 10 of the continent’s participating teams reached the knockout stage, FIFA President Gianni Infantino has said.

Addressing the CAF Strategy Conference on the island of Sal, Cabo Verde, the FIFA President thanked the continent’s FIFA Member Associations (MAs) for the work done every day in their countries and said it was now bearing fruit.

“Football belongs to everyone, everywhere in the world and it’s our responsibility to create opportunities and to find the resources for these opportunities to become true,” the FIFA President said in his opening remarks.

“And we have seen some of the results at the last (FIFA) World Cup. The most successful (FIFA) World Cup ever, by any measurement that you want to take: spectators, sport, financial. Everything. And you’ve seen the success of African football at this (FIFA) World Cup. This is possible thanks to you. Thanks to the work that you are doing every day in your countries, in your continent, around the world, to bring football to the next level. African talent, dear friends, has shaped, and is shaping more and more, world football.”

Cabo Verde, in particular, captured the world’s imagination as they drew 0-0 with eventual champions Spain, 2-2 with Uruguay and 0-0 with Saudi Arabia in Group H to reach the round of 32 on their FIFA World Cup debut and then took titleholders Argentina to extra-time before finally losing 3-2.

“Everyone knows Cabo Verde. The Blue Sharks have made a country proud, they have made a continent proud,” the FIFA President said. “But, much more than that, they have been able to conquer the hearts of the people, not just of the Cabo Verdeans in Cabo Verde and outside of Cabo Verde, but of everyone everywhere in the world.”

It was now important, he said, to ensure that the work continued and African football continued to grow.

“Football belongs to everyone,” Mr Infantino said. “A child and a child’s opportunity cannot be limited by the place he or she is born. What we can do to change this is to continue to invest in infrastructure, in coaching, in competitions to make sure that this talent has an opportunity and a chance to shine. And as African football is shaping the world of football, we need to find the right ways for world football to recognise and to make this extraordinary talent shine even more on the global stage.”

The conference in Cabo Verde has brought together leading decision-makers, coaches and football experts to shape the next stage of African football development. FIFA Chief of Global Football Development Arsène Wenger and FIFA’s Deputy Chief Member Associations Officer Gelson Fernandes are among the participants.

Welcoming Mr Infantino and the FIFA delegation, the President of the Cabo Verdean Football Association (FCF), Mário Semedo, said: “Your presence, and that of your delegation, is a great honour to Cabo Verde, a sign of friendship and respect for African football, and reflects FIFA’s commitment to dialogue, inclusion and the global development of football – principles that define your leadership.”

The FIFA President said that, in the last 10 years, FIFA had invested more than USD 1 billion in African football through the FIFA Forward Programme, contributing to 124 projects including new headquarters, national training centres and stadium infrastructure for various MAs, as well as organising competitions.

“As FIFA President, I am proud to have contributed, together with all of you, a little bit in this evolution over the last 10 years. And this incredible success story… is valid for men and women’s football, of course,” Mr Infantino said.

Regarding stadium infrastructure, Mr Infantino referenced that, two years ago, 26 of the 54 African MAs could not play matches at home because their stadiums did not reach the required standards and this had now been reduced to 14, of which two could not play at home for security reasons.

“And our objective, our common objective is, of course, to have even more and all of you being able to play your home matches on your home territory. Because that’s what you deserve – that’s what your girls, your boys, your children, your populations deserve.”

He added: “Everything is there – the talent is there, the passion is there, the infrastructure is coming, the competitions are coming for men’s football and for women’s football.”

Mr Infantino’s words were echoed by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) President Patrice Motsepe, who stressed the importance of working together.

“Whenever we have these sorts of discussions, we want the family to be together. And you’ve (Mr Infantino) had such a historic, deep commitment to the continent, but also to the developing world and to the world of football, in FIFA, over many, many years,” he said. “And part of what we are doing today is to re-emphasise the importance of all of us working together.”