FIFA President Gianni Infantino has kicked off the FIFA Football for Schools programme in Czechia and held discussions with Czech Football Association (FAČR) President David Trunda and government ministers on his first visit to the Central European country.

Czechia’s senior men’s national team returned to the global stage for the first time in 20 years when they participated at the FIFA World Cup 2026™, while the women’s national team are still pursuing a FIFA Women’s World Cup™ debut as they seek to qualify for next year’s tournament in Brazil.

The long-term future was, however, the main focus in the Czech capital, Prague, as Mr Infantino joined Mr Trunda in launching the FIFA Football for Schools initiative that will give pupils in over 300 schools across the country the chance to learn life skills while they work on developing their football skills.

The FAČR will receive 5,000 balls before the end of the year to be distributed across the Czech school system and provide teachers with the tools required to integrate this programme, which is a partnership between FIFA, the FAČR, the national government and UNESCO, into their curriculum.

“It was a pleasure to visit the Czech Football Association headquarters in Prague and hold a productive working meeting alongside FAČR President David Trunda, Vice-President and football legend Zdeněk Grygera, General Secretary Stanislav Rýznar, Czech football legend Pavel Nedvěd, and government representatives,” said Mr Infantino.

“We had great discussions on the future development of football in Czechia, focusing on youth pathways and the ongoing implementation of projects funded by the FIFA Forward Programme. I want to thank everyone involved for the warm welcome and their continued dedication to growing our game at all levels across the country.”

The FIFA President received a status update on the FAČR’s plan to install more than 100 mini-pitches across Czechia within the scope of the FIFA Arena initiative, which aims to establish at least 1,000 such facilities worldwide by 2031 to increase accessibility and provide children with safe spaces to play, particularly in underprivileged areas. Two mini-pitches were inaugurated late last year in Mladá Boleslav and Český Těšín.

“Projects like this are crucial for the future of football,” said the FIFA President. “What we’ve seen, when we started to do this around the world, is that these FIFA Arenas, they become not just a place where children play, but they become, really, a centre of the social and community life of an area, of a neighbourhood. Everyone is coming, everyone is proud – because they look good as well. And, on top of that, it allows children really to exert their passion to play football and to start becoming legends, as some of the legends that we know here in Czech Republic.”

Mr Infantino then toured the FAČR Headquarters, which was opened in 2015 but has since been extended thanks to USD 3.9 million in FIFA Forward funding, before continuing talks with representatives of the FAČR and the national government. Mr Infantino said discussions had focused on developing the country’s first national technical centre where all Czech representative teams can prepare in optimal conditions.

“I'm surprised as FIFA President that it does not yet exist in such a country like the Czech Republic, with its history, with its tradition, with its passion. But now, we have to work on it to make it happen,” said Mr Infantino. “It would be a decision, of course, of the Czech Football Association, and their board and their general assembly, and, if they decide to do so, they can count on the full, full, full support of FIFA, but it is important. It is a symbol, as well, to show that we are investing together, government, federation and FIFA, together, in the future of the country.”

The accent on youth continued as Mr Infantino met the country’s U-15 boys’ national team, who will have an opportunity to show the positive effect the FIFA Talent Development Scheme (TDS) has had in Czechia at this month’s first FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival™ in Azerbaijan.

Implemented in 2024, a steady crescendo in the TDS’ work led to the High-Performance Unit’s staff being expanded this year and two U-15 Future Camps were staged to support late-developing players as the FAČR seeks to make the most of a relatively small but potentially high-class talent pool.

“You’re writing history because you are the first ones from the Czech Republic to participate in this tournament,” Mr Infantino told the team, who play their first game against Sri Lanka on 24 October. “You will meet many colleagues from countries that maybe you don't even know the name. You will make new friends from all over the world. But, most importantly, you will represent your country. You will represent your families. You will represent your friends. You will represent everyone in the Czech Republic who loves football.”