The FIFA Foundation has been helping get football in Guam back on its feet after a devastating typhoon while the FIFA Forward Development Programme is providing support to ensure the future of the beautiful game on the Pacific island is bright.

When Typhoon Mawar – the strongest tropical cyclone worldwide in 2023 – struck Guam in May last year, infrastructure was significantly affected leaving some people without water or power for months.

Football facilities did not escape unscathed as fierce winds and torrential rain wreaked havoc on stadiums and pitches. It inflicted USD 3.5 million worth of damage on the Guam Football Association’s (GFA) National Training Centre alone, but its negative impact went much deeper than simply the devastation the eye could see.

“As soon as the typhoon hit, with the damages to our facility and the damages to our island, our training and preparation came to a complete halt,” explained Guam Women’s National Team Head Coach Kristin Thompson, who had been fine-tuning her squad for a regional tournament. “Some of them were going home to houses without power, water and even internet. Some of our players were even struggling professionally. They might have lost their job, or some of their jobs had no power or water, so they couldn’t really function very well.”

FIFA stepped in to help with the recovery effort, getting football back on track and footballers back on the pitch. The GFA was able to stage youth leagues between September and November 2023 and even host Singapore in a FIFA World Cup 26™ qualifier in October.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino made a first-ever visit to Guam in December 2023 to see the recovery process for himself. That process has now been completed with a ribbon-cutting ceremony marking the formal end of the restoration of the National Training Centre’s solar energy system that was undertaken thanks to USD 547,218 from the FIFA Foundation. The solar panel system helps reduce energy costs and the facility’s carbon footprint, making it a cost-effective and environmentally friendly energy solution for a sustainable future.

“The FIFA Foundation is grateful to have had the opportunity to assist Guam in rebuilding its football infrastructure via the FIFA Foundation Recovery Programme,” said Mariana Banús, Head of FIFA Foundation Administration, after the ceremony, which was attended by FIFA Member Association Development Manager CJ Chen Jun, Speaker of the Guam Legislature Therese Terlaje, GFA Executive Committee member Duane Pahl, Vice Speaker Tina Muña-Barnes and other guests. “We have been diligently working together with the Guam Football Association for over a year, making progress first with the reintroduction of youth leagues, and then rapidly progressing to the point where Guam was able to host a World Cup qualifier just months after the significant damage caused by Typhoon Mawar.”

While the difficulties of the past are being overcome, the challenges of the future remain. Ground was broken on 8 August in a ceremony to officially start of the construction of the Speaker Vicente Pangelinan Southern Complex in Hågat in the south of the island. The state-of-the-art facility will include two full-size artificial turf pitches. It has been taken off the planning page and into reality thanks to the GFA receiving USD 5.2 million from the FIFA Forward programme, which has been funding the football development projects of FIFA’s 211 Member Associations since 2016.

“Facilities development is a critical factor of football development. Without proper facilities, the sport will not grow. It’s important for the MA to provide facilities to provide opportunities to all the people of Guam,” said GFA General Secretary Joseph F. Cepeda. “FIFA supported Guam FA 100%. We are happy that we are now moving in the direction of building a facility down in the southern part of the island to provide a world-class facility for the development of the youth and adults of southern Guam.”

Following on from the launch of the FIFA Football for Schools initiative in Guam in 2022, the new structure will be a focal point for more than a dozen schools in villages across the south of the island, as well as a home to clubs based in southern Guam.

It will also enhance the GFA’s capacity-building efforts in coaching and refereeing, and fits neatly into the organisation’s four-year Strategic Plan, which rests on five pillars: Grow Participation, Club Development & Licensing, Education & Development, Competition Development, and National Team. The first phase of construction is expected to be completed in a year’s time.

“Guam is truly committed to football development and has diligently used FIFA Forward funding to elevate its football program in many different areas, whether it is investing into the national teams, administration and governance, infrastructure, women’s football, or equipment,” said Sanjeevan Balasingam, FIFA Member Associations Regional Director Asia & Oceania, after the ceremony, which was attended by the Hon. Lou Leon Guerrero, Governor of Guam. “We are starting to see the results of this commitment, and this new facility will ensure even more accessibility for players and clubs, helping to advance participation and growth of the sport even further.”