FIFA President Gianni Infantino has visited Malaysia where he met the Prime Minister YAB Dato’ Seri Anwar Bin Ibrahim and inaugurated a FIFA Arena mini-pitch in the capital Kuala Lumpur. During the meeting with the Prime Minister, the two leaders discussed football development in the country and explored opportunities for collaboration to ensure that football continues to have a positive impact on society and inspire children. Malaysia’s Minister of Sports and Youth, YB Hannah Yeoh, and the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) Honorary President and FIFA Council Member Tan Sri Dato' Haji Hamidin Haji Mohd Amin also took part in the discussions.

Shortly afterwards, the FIFA Arena mini-pitch inauguration took place, the first that the FIFA President has attended in Asia. The project consists of two mini-pitches which have been installed in two schools in the Kuala Lumpur area and will directly benefit around 1,300 students. A further 4,500 students will benefit indirectly through inter-school matches, grassroots development programmes and community football activities.

“Children will have [not only] a place to be educated, but also a place to enjoy, to be happy, to have fun, to spend time in a safe and secure environment,” said Mr Infantino, who also emphasised the importance of government support for such projects. “(To) all the representatives here of Malaysian football, the government, thank you for your support, the private sector, the public sector, everyone joining forces to give chances, opportunities, hope and smile(s) to these girls and to these boys of Malaysia, of Southeast Asia and, finally, of the entire world.” Launched earlier this year, FIFA Arena follows up on a pledge made by the FIFA President at the International Summit on Sports for Sustainable Development in Paris in July 2024. It is now being rolled out worldwide with the aim of establishing at least 1,000 new mini-pitches, particularly to support people living in disadvantaged urban or rural areas, by the time of the FIFA Congress in 2031.

Ms Hannah Yeoh thanked the FIFA President for the FIFA Arena projects, saying it “brings hope and opportunity to children all over the world”. “This FIFA Arena launch is a meaningful milestone for Malaysian football, and especially so for our young footballers,” she said. “I am confident this FIFA Arena will not only enhance football participation among our youth but also align with our mission to elevate Malaysian football to greater heights.” FIFA is also supporting the construction of a state-of-the-art National Training Centre at Putrajaya with funding through the FIFA Forward programme.

“President Gianni has been instrumental in supporting Malaysian football…. championing numerous development initiatives over the past 11 years,” said the FAM Honorary President Haji Hamidin Haji Mohd Amin. “His mission to make football truly global is being realised through impactful initiatives such as FIFA Forward, FIFA Arena, and FIFA Football for Schools programmes that capture the very essence of football development and inclusion,” he added. “These initiatives are not only about infrastructure or funding, they are about empowering dreams, nurturing talent and giving every child, regardless of (their) background, the opportunity to experience the joy and unity that football brings.”