Football in Paraguay has made remarkable strides over the past decade, driven by the country’s deep passion for the game and a strategic, productive partnership between FIFA and the Paraguayan Football Association (APF).

The outcome has been clear. Paraguay has undergone a broad transformation, combining state-of-the-art infrastructure, greater technical professionalism, a structured approach to talent identification and a strong commitment to social and educational impact.

“When I look at how far the APF has come over these years, it is impossible to separate that journey from FIFA’s support and, in particular, from the vision Gianni Infantino has championed since becoming [FIFA] President, together with his entire team. That vision has brought FIFA closer to its Member Associations and recognised that genuine football development is not simply about transferring resources, but about creating lasting skills, knowledge and opportunities in every country,” said APF President Robert Harrison.

The impact of that long-term approach is now being felt on the biggest stages. On the pitch, the senior men’s national team ended a 16-year absence by sealing its long-awaited return to the FIFA World Cup 2026™, having last appeared at South Africa 2010.

Since Mr Infantino was elected FIFA President in 2016, the FIFA Forward Programme has reshaped football development worldwide. In its 3.0 cycle (2023-2026), each MA can receive up to USD 8 million, a seven-fold increase on the resources available in early 2016.

In Paraguay, the APF has channelled more than USD 10.5 million in development funding, including USD 7.25 million devoted entirely to first-class infrastructure. That investment has helped deliver three high-performance technical centres and 17 fully equipped pitches.

The infrastructure modernisation strategy was rolled out in stages across the different phases of the Forward Programme. Phase 1.0 saw the modernisation of CARDE, the Albiroga Complex in Ypané, completed in 2020. The project delivered upgraded changing rooms, a high-performance gym for the senior national team, a new press room, medical and rehabilitation facilities, an indoor training centre for youth teams and an expanded team hotel.

FIFA Forward 2.0 then supported the 2022 inauguration of CARFEM, the Women’s Football High-Performance Centre, a pioneering complex jointly funded with CONMEBOL’s Evolution Programme and the APF’s own resources.

CARFEM has two team hotels, seven training pitches, broadcast booths, stands, boxes and a specialised gym.

The current cycle continued that momentum in 2024 with the opening of CARDIF, the High-Performance Centre for Youth Development Divisions in Luque, funded through FIFA Forward 3.0. With eight artificial-turf pitches and four blocks of changing rooms and gyms, the centre has become a flagship project, earning the APF the Gold Award at the FIFA Forward Awards 2026 – Americas Edition.

“The FIFA Forward Programme was decisive in helping us turn projects into reality. Today, we have high-performance centres and infrastructure for men’s and women’s football that, just a few years ago, seemed like little more than a dream,” Harrison said. “CARDIF is perhaps the best illustration of that progress: around 3,000 boys across various age groups now pass through the centre, benefiting from improved tools and conditions to nurture their talent.”

The advances have not been limited to bricks and mortar. CARDIF has also become home to FIFA’s first academy in South America under the Talent Development Scheme (TDS), a global FIFA initiative that aims to establish 75 elite academies worldwide by 2027.

“But this process was never solely about building. The Talent Development Scheme helped us introduce the methodology and planning required to identify and develop talent, while coach education, technical and refereeing courses, and executive programmes have enabled us to professionalise our staff and steadily improve the quality of our management.”

The pathway followed by players such as Ipswich Town and Paraguay midfielder Julio Enciso offers one of the clearest examples of what this comprehensive development work can achieve.

“Perhaps one of the images that best sums up this process is that of Julio Enciso. In that FIFA article on the renovation of CARDE, Julio appears as a boy, part of our U15 national team and already dreaming of becoming a professional footballer. Years later, we saw him reach the world’s top leagues and, in 2026, represent Paraguay at his first FIFA World Cup. For me, that is the true meaning of all this,” Harrison added

The APF and FIFA have also placed inclusion, education and community engagement at the heart of their work together. Paraguay became the second CONMEBOL Member Association, and the 11th worldwide, to launch FIFA Football for Schools. It was also the first South American country to implement the FIFA Arena project.

“There is another dimension to this transformation that is equally important to us: football’s social impact. Working hand in hand with FIFA and the FIFA Foundation, we have been able to take football far beyond our national teams and elite competitions, using it as a genuine tool for education, inclusion and opportunity for children and young people,” Harrison said.

“Programmes such as Football for Schools have helped us bring football closer to schools and connect it with education and values-based learning. FIFA Arena, meanwhile, gives children and communities safe, suitable spaces where they can play, come together and develop through sport. Added to that are innovative initiatives, such as robotics programmes, which show that football can also be a gateway to knowledge, technology and new skills for our young people.”

This institutional and operational progress has helped establish Paraguay as a trusted host for events at the highest level.

“That growth built confidence and enabled us to take on ever greater challenges. We succeeded in bringing competitions and events of major global significance to Paraguay. In 2019, we organised the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup™, the first FIFA competition held in Paraguay and the first staged in a landlocked country. In 2025, we also had the privilege of hosting the FIFA Congress for the first time, bringing FIFA’s Member Associations from around the world to our country,” Harrison said.

“That is why, when we talk about the legacy of these years, we cannot measure it only in investment, buildings or pitches. Its true measure lies in the children who now have the chance to shine, the young people reached through schools and communities, the professionals who are better prepared, the knowledge gained and shared, and an APF that has grown stronger and more respected on the international stage.

“I believe that is one of the great legacies of Gianni Infantino’s vision and of the entire team that has supported him: transforming FIFA’s relationship with its Member Associations and making development concrete and tangible, while recognising that football carries a responsibility that goes far beyond what happens on the pitch,” he concluded.