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In Benin, there are innumerable opportunities to gather together around football.
It is not uncommon to witness scenes of jubilation in the streets whenever the national team - also known as Les Écureuils (The Squirrels) - finds the back of their opponents’ goal nets.
Having qualified for three recent CAF Africa Cup of Nations in 2004, 2008 and 2010, the dream of a first FIFA World Cup™ qualification for the vibrant West African team seems within reach.

Football is the most popular sport in Turkey, where the first football league was established in 1904. Nowadays, with the support of the FIFA Forward programme, sustainable football development is becoming a reality in this huge country covering approximately 780,000 km2 and straddling two continents.

Recently, a FIFA delegation representing the member associations (MA) division paid a visit to the Bhutan Football Federation (BFF) to host a meeting with several Member Associations originating from the AFC region – among them were represented the football associations of Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Guam, India, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam.

he Tajikistan Football Federation will continue with their TFF Academy project, with the funds secured via the FIFA Forward 2.0 programme. The TFF project has already helped the Tajikistan U-17 national team reach the final of the 2018 AFC U-16 Championship and secure qualification for the FIFA U-17 World Cup just for the second time in their history.

The Football Association of Iceland (KSI) has never known anything like it. These days, barely a day goes by without a packed reception at its Reykjavik HQ, as administrators and coaches from around the world descend. All arrive in search of the same answer: how does this tiny country punch so spectacularly, and consistently, above its weight?

A lot of football's beauty is its simplicity: Two goals – made of anything from empty bottles to school bags – and a ball is all you need. But few would argue against the fact that better facilities will breed better results in the long run. The Hungarian Football Federation (MLSZ), are pursuing just that having opted to install a new series of pitches up and down the country to improve the nation's training infrastructure. These new 40m x 20m pitches will primarily benefit youth sports teams and schools, with the schools using the pitches in the mornings before the clubs, including those from neighbouring towns, take over the facilities in the afternoons and evenings

Participation in competitive matches is a key element in developing national teams. With FIFA Forward's investment of USD 588,197, New Zealand’s women’s team, nicknamed the Football Ferns, and All Whites youth teams have been able to complete a very intensive programme, involving an extensive travel schedule, and are on the right track, having achieved some significant results. Under the constant supervision of the New Zealand Football member association, this project allows the teams to move forward and provides them with the necessary means to achieve substantial and sustainable progress.

With a population of more than 52.2 million people, Kenyans are known to be extremely passionate about football and the potential for women’s football to develop in such an extended African territory is tremendous. As a result, women’s football development has become one of the top priorities of the Football Kenya Federation (FKF). The Kenyan Women's Premier League is the top tier women's football league in the Kenyan football league pyramid.

The horizon looks bright for the future of football in Tegucigalpa, the mountainous Honduran capital of 1.2 million inhabitants, where players are now able to enjoy training at a brand new youth football stadium, financed by the FIFA Forward Development Programme. The new facility will allow them to enjoy football in the best conditions, bringing more quality of play in a country where football is more than just a game.

The eighth meeting of the FIFA Council was held today in Kigali, Rwanda, where the members of FIFA’s strategic and decision-making body discussed a number of pivotal aspects regarding the future of FIFA competitions.