Mauritanian football has developed tremendously with the help of FIFA Forward funding, something FIFA President Gianni Infantino and Mauritanian Football Association (FFRIM) President Ahmed Yahya reflected on when they met at the FIFA office in Paris, France. Mauritania has gone from being without a national stadium early in qualifying for the CAF Africa Cup of Nations 2019 to playing – and winning – in their upgraded Cheikha Ould Boïdiya Stadium in the country's capital, Nouakchott, with plans in place to expand it further. Since their home’s 2019 facelift, Mauritania's men's national team have qualified for three consecutive AFCON final tournaments for the first time in their history, and reached the knock-out stages of the most recent edition in Côte d'Ivoire in January 2024.

"I had a fantastic opportunity to congratulate Mauritanian Football Association President Ahmed Yahya for all the work he and his team have achieved when we met in FIFA's Paris office today," said Mr Infantino. "It is not just the achievements on the pitch, such as the men’s national team reaching the Africa Cup of Nations knockout round for the very first time earlier this year, that are a sign of the really amazing work that they are doing. What is really pleasing is to see the progress that has been made using FIFA Forward funds to provide the infrastructure and support system required to ensure the game's long-term growth in this incredible country."

FIFA and the French Development Agency (AFD) renewed their Memorandum of Understanding in May 2024. The collaboration supports inclusive academies in Mauritania, as well as Djibouti and Malawi, which are based around four key themes of education and vocational training, gender equality, safeguarding, and sustainable business models. "The new infrastructure will have a positive impact on Mauritania's football landscape," continued Mr Infantino. "While the inclusive academy FIFA has established in Mauritania in collaboration with the French Development Agency (AFD) will not only shape the face of our sport in the country, but also its society."

Mauritania's men's national team are up to 112th in the latest FIFA/Coca-Cola Men's World Ranking, having had a previous low of 206th, and improvement is apparent across the board. "We are now on the footballing stage at every level," said Mr Yahya. "We may well be the only African nation to have qualified for every major, senior male competition: the CAF [Confédération Africaine de Football], CHAN [African Nations Championship], Beach Soccer, and Futsal. All this was possible thanks to the positive development policies that have been implemented and supported by FIFA. "The expansion of the federation’s stadium, the Cheikha Ould Boïdiya Stadium - this stadium will be expanded from an 8,000 to a 16,000-capacity venue and will include VIP areas and so on. This will mean Mauritania will be able to compete in an international-sized stadium. I believe this is unprecedented for FIFA to provide a stadium of this size, worthy of its name."