Paraguay has staged the first FIFA Talent Academy milestone event in South America, at the CARDIF centre (Centro de Alto Rendimiento de las Divisiones Formativas), to showcase the country's commitment to talent development and helping young footballers fulfil their potential. The academy is part of the FIFA Talent Development Scheme (TDS), which has been introduced in more than 180 FIFA Member Associations around the world, providing them with expert guidance to help ensure that every talented player is given a chance. The event was attended by FIFA Vice-President and CONMEBOL President Alejandro Domínguez, President of the Paraguayan Football Association (APF) Robert Harrison, Paraguayan Minister for Education and Science Luis Ramírez, FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström and FIFA Chief of Global Football Development Arsène Wenger. FIFA Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lamour, FIFA Chief Football Officer Jill Ellis and FIFA Technical Director Steven Martens were also present as part of the FIFA delegation.

“It has been a big investment by FIFA and the Paraguayan (Football Association) to build this centre,” said Mr Grafström in an interview following the event, adding that the TDS programme had become a reality. “It was a vision (that FIFA) President (Gianni Infantino) and Arsène Wenger had been working on. With the TDS programme, hopefully for Paraguay, it will bring them a lot of success on the pitch for the future. This is the core of our business, of what we want to do, and as (FIFA) Secretary General, I'm very proud.” The TDS aims to establish 75 elite FIFA Talent Academies – run by the respective host FIFA Member Association (MA) together with FIFA, such as the one in Paraguay – around the world by 2027. These will help ensure that the best young players, both girls and boys, receive the best possible coaching, have access to proper facilities and a chance to play in a competitive environment. It will also help MAs fulfil their potential by making the most of the talent available to them and this in turn will raise the standards of national team football around the world – the ultimate goal of the TDS project.

FIFA also wants to help foster social and personal growth, developing well-rounded individuals by instilling values such as discipline, teamwork and leadership through football, ensuring players not only excel on the pitch but also grow as responsible, contributing members of society. “There’s so much talent in Paraguay, but it needs the right conditions to thrive. The first condition is physical – access to infrastructure, pitches and balls. But another key factor in well-rounded development is the coach,” said Mr Ramírez. “This is a project where President Infantino inspires FIFA and world football to understand that football is a tool for social development and personal growth, and that’s what we’re launching today.” Mr Domínguez added: “Today is really a huge day because we’re giving girls and boys the opportunity to flourish but, above all, they have the opportunity to reach their full potential as sportspeople, which is what we want: to give equal opportunities. And when we have that equality of opportunities, football can only become more competitive.” Mr Wenger said that even countries which have traditionally produced an abundance of talented players needed to ensure they got the right coaching and facilities. “There is still the talent, but it's not enough anymore. You need as well to develop the talent as far as you can with every child, and that is the aim and the target of this project,” he said.

So far, 33 FIFA Talent Academies have been opened, including two more in South America, in Bolivia and Peru. They feature a FIFA-trained coach who lives and works within the country, offering local coaches continuous support to raise coaching standards and strengthen the overall football landscape. “You can see their admiration, the joy of experiencing this and imagining themselves in these kinds of settings in the future,” said Mónica Vergara, the FIFA Talent Coach for the FIFA Talent Academy in Paraguay, as some young players took part in a training session. “They dream of representing Paraguay, of being in a (FIFA) World Cup, with the full protocol of international matches and everything that comes with that environment. “They understand that football brings families together, that it unites values, and truly connects with fundamental aspects of being human. I truly believe football changes lives and communities.”