30 mini-stadiums will be built as part of the “FIFA Arena” program across various regions of the Kingdom of Morocco, under a partnership recently established and described by the International Football Federation as “unique, unprecedented, and historic.”
These mini-stadiums are designed as sustainable and safe football facilities that are easily accessible, intended to be integrated within key living areas, especially schools, where these structures will primarily be established within public educational institutions, in close coordination with national and local educational authorities.
This was scheduled under an agreement signed last Sunday at the office of the International Football Federation (FIFA) in Africa, at the Mohammed VI Football Complex (near Salé), by the FIFA President, Gianni Infantino, the President of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, Fouzi Lekjaa, the Minister of National Education, Preschool Education, and Sports, Mohamed Saad Berrada, and the Director of the “SBU Mining” operations unit, Faris El-Dreij, representing the Office Chérifien des Phosphates.
According to a document from FIFA, “this unique, unprecedented, and historic partnership falls within a shared vision aimed at enhancing the connection between sport, education, and social development by placing football in the service of Moroccan youth.”
This partnership also aims for the sustainable integration of football practice within the frameworks of school and preschool education, encouraging regular physical activity among children and youth, along with promoting educational, citizenship, and social values through sport.
This partnership could position Morocco as a model country for the “FIFA Arena” program in Africa, enhancing cooperation between institutional and sporting stakeholders and the private sector, as well as highlighting the international value of the Moroccan model that combines sport, education, and social impact, and creating a sustainable legacy for future generations.
This partnership will also contribute to enhancing school sports and education through sport, and the physical, mental, and social development of students, establishing permanent sports infrastructure within public institutions, while strengthening the values of inclusion, equality, and social cohesion, in line with national public policies in the fields of education, youth, and sports.
It is noted that the “FIFA Arena” program is a global initiative led by the international football governing body, aiming to build over 1,000 “FIFA Arena” stadiums worldwide, ensuring equitable access for children and youth to football, using sport as a tool for education and social inclusion, health, and community cohesion, and leaving a sustainable legacy in local communities.
