FIFA President Gianni Infantino has inaugurated the first FIFA Arena pitches in Anguilla to give further impetus to the Caribbean island nation’s flourishing youth development strategy.

The FIFA Arena project, which launched last year, aims to establish at least 1,000 mini-pitches globally by 2031 with a view to increasing accessibility to football, particularly in underprivileged and under-resourced neighbourhoods.

Schoolchildren and communities are already playing on dozens of FIFA Arena mini-pitches worldwide with the Anguilla Football Association (AFA) becoming the latest FIFA Member Association (MA) to join the programme.

“The FIFA Arena project is changing the lives of young girls and boys around the world, and we are proud to be able to make an impact on this beautiful island,” said the FIFA President as he officially opened the mini-pitches at Vivien Vanterpool Primary School and Valley Primary School on 4 November.

“As children get a safe space to learn, play and experience our beautiful game, I thank everyone at the government and AFA for your cooperation and hard work in helping FIFA make football accessible to all those with a dream of pursuing our game,” he added.

The pitches will benefit around 500 children, some of whom will also receive some of the 100 pairs of football boots provided through FIFA’s Boots for All initiative.

Mr Infantino was joined at the inauguration ceremony by Anguilla Governor Julia Crouch, Premier Cora Richardson-Hodge and AFA President Girdon Connor. Mr Girdon recently received the “Most Impactful” award at the FIFA Forward Awards 2026, Americas Edition in Vancouver, Canada, from the FIFA President himself, after the AFA was nominated after constructing Anguilla’s first artificial turf pitch, part of a long-term strategy to upgrade the country’s football infrastructure, highlighted by the upgrade to the AFA’s Technical Centre and Headquarters, which has been completed with the help of almost USD 300,000 in FIFA Forward funding.

“This excellent facility will be the centre of all football activities and provide the necessary infrastructure, opportunities and pathways for young girls and boys who want to play the sport,” Mr Infantino said as he and Mr Connor inaugurated the revamped complex.

“It was wonderful to take a tour of the renovated AFA Headquarters and discuss our plans for football on the island while understanding the vision of the leaders here who have a great passion for our game.”

In addition, the AFA also recently received approval from the FIFA Forward development programme to renovate the main pitch and upgrade the floodlights at its technical centre. There are additional plans in the pipeline to expand the technical centre’s dormitory to accommodate two teams, while the AFA hopes to add an additional artificial pitch and a futsal facility on land adjacent to the technical centre.

Such developments are particularly important for implementation of the FIFA Talent Development Scheme (TDS), which is firmly established in Aguilla. With a population of just 15,000, Anguilla became the smallest MA to hold a FIFA Talent Academy Milestone Event back in January 2026.

The academy has undergone rapid expansion, growing from 32 players in November 2024 to 120 players by November 2025, with age groups now spanning from U-12 to U-17 for both girls and boys. The fact that 23 players from the TDS age groups have made their debut for a representative team since the facility opened is testament to its impact.

Though the initial FIFA Football for Schools programme ended in April 2026, its successful two-year implementation means the AFA and the national government hope to restart it and provide children with a gateway to the game.