Arsène Wenger explains why FIFA wants to open a football academy

At the 2023 FIFA Football Summit held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Arsène Wenger, FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development, announced that FIFA plans to establish a recognized elite talent development academy in each of the 211 FIFA Member Associations (MAs) by the end of 2026. This initiative aims to give every promising player a chance to develop their skills and excel in the sport.

Wenger stated that FIFA intends to open more academies in Africa over the next six months to one year. The organization is close to opening new academies in Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Ghana, and Zambia. By the end of 2026, FIFA plans to have established 75 academies worldwide, which reflects the progress made in football education.

The goal of this initiative is to make the game more competitive and of better quality. Wenger emphasized that the only way to achieve this is by improving the quality of football education and competitions.

FIFA has already deployed 24 coaches to assist in identifying talented players. Six additional coaches will be sent to Liberia, Malawi, Zambia, Côte d’Ivoire, Benin, and Ghana. These coaches will provide a solid technical foundation for the development of FIFA Academies, and they will work alongside full-time local coaches provided by the respective member associations in each country.

The primary focus of these coaches will be to find talented players, train them to harness their abilities, and allow them to put what they have learned into practice by playing matches.