FIFA launches the Mauritania Talent Academy
A milestone event will take place in Nouakchott Mauritania at the FFRIM as we will celebrate the progress and development of the country’s FIFA Talent Academy, a prime example of an institution that has gone from strength to strength under the FIFA Talent Development Scheme (TDS). First in the CAF region, the Talent Academy underlines Mauritania’s pioneering efforts inspiring example for others to follow.
What is the Talent Development Scheme?
The FIFA Talent Development Scheme (TDS), led by FIFA Chief of Global Football Development Arsène Wenger, has been launched in 2022 with the aim of helping member associations to fulfil their potential by ensuring that every talented player has a chance to be detected and developed. And it enforces the measures taken to reduce the disparity in the level of football between difference regions of the world. Over the years, it has become clear that there is a competitive imbalance, with European football dominant across international competitions.
The main goal of the TDS is to help raise the standards of national-team football around the world for both men and women, by creating a sustainable legacy for long term talent development by maximising each participating member association’s opportunities. So far, 200 FIFA Member Associations have benefitted from the innovative scheme. FIFA will support all member associations participating in the TDS through a funding allocation of USD 200 million for the 2023-2026 operational cycle.
What is a FIFA Talent Academy?
A key pillar of the TDS implementation phase is the Academies Programme, which will be officiall officially for the first time in recognised in Mauritania, the first in the CAF region as well.
Each talent academy has FIFA-recruited and trained coaches who are working side-byside with local staff and coaches to establish a high-quality training environment focused on developing the most talented players in the country. Together, the coaches will implement the three key pillars of the initiative: find talented players, train them to give them the tools to best exploit their ability, and give them the opportunity to put what they have learned into practice by playing matches.
Additionally, each FIFA Talent academy must prioritise safeguarding and education as core elements. By meeting these standards, each academy will ensure a safe environment that promotes the well-being and holistic development of all players. FIFA is planning on having 75 elite FIFA Talent academies in place by the end of 2027, as reflected in FIFA’s Strategic Objectives for the Global Game: 2023-2027. FIFA is therefore deploying dedicated talent coaches globally to establish academies with best-practice training environments for young players of all genders, to date FIFA has already 24 academies globally.
The FIFA Talent Academy Mauritania is the first milestone event on African soil and a
recognition of the Mauritian Federation outstanding work and progress in meeting
established criteria. The objective of the Talent Academy in Mauritania are the same as all FIFA recognised academies: to develop the best players, to act as a role model for the Federation, to create a sustainable football ecosystem — establish a long-term, structured pathway for talent development and to Foster social and personal growth.
FIFA President, Gianni Infantino: “This is a great day for football in Mauritania, a country passionate about our beautiful game which is making tremendous strides to grow and develop the sport each day. The opening of the FIFA Talent Academy in Mauritania is a hugely significant moment for young players in this country” FFRIM President, Ahmed Yahya: “Today is a historic moment for Mauritanian football.
“The opening of this FIFA Talent Academy here in Mauritania reflects FIFA’s confidence in our commitment to the development of football. This investment in training our young talents marks a decisive step towards a more ambitious future for our federation” FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development, Arsene Wenger: “The ultimate objectives of FIFA Talent Academies are to develop young players by providing them with the highest levels of training, education and development to help them reach their full potential, contributing to the overall growth of football in the country,” FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development, Arsene Wenger: “The ultimate objectives of FIFA Talent Academies are to develop young players by providing them with the highest levels of training, education and development to help them reach their full potential, contributing to the overall growth of football in the country,”
Director of the FFRIM Academy, Oumar Ndiaye: “This February 25 marks a decisive turning point for Mauritanian football, especially for our youth. With this FIFA certification, we are taking another step forward in developing our talents and strengthening our training programs. Returning to Mauritania after my professional career in France, my goal has always been to recreate a high-performance environment to support the rise of our players. Today, thanks to FIFA’s support on all fronts, we have the necessary tools to elevate our ambitions.”
FIFA Director of Global Football Development, Steven Martens : “Mauritania football has been
making huge strides in recent times. This first milestone event of a FIFA Talent Academy in Africa is a major breakthrough for African football. The FIFA Talent Development Scheme allows us to find, train and give young talents the opportunity to play best with the best in their country.
On top of that the FIFA Talent coaches who work and live within the country provide the national coaches with ongoing coaching development.” Executive Director of , Jemal Sevir : “Receiving thisFIFA certification is a great recognition of all the work FFRIM has done to develop and grow football in Mauritania. It strengthens our commitment to improving our infrastructure and making our methods more professional. With this support, we now have new tools to keep pushing our football forward at every level.”
A brand-new stadium thanks to FIFA Forward Alongside with the certification of the FIFA Talent Academy, FIFA is thrilled to announce the launch of the extension project at Cheikha Boidiya stadium, funded thanks to FIFA Forward funds. Mauritania’s national football stadium, Stade Cheikha Boidiya, is undergoing an expansion as part of a FIFA-funded project with a budget of nearly $2.9 million USD. The stadium was previously upgraded in 2018, with the installation of seats, modernized changing rooms, and a media room. Now, the objective is to increase its capacity to 16,000 seats to accommodate the growing number of football fans in Mauritania.
What is FIFA Forward ?
FIFA Forward is the largest and biggest sport development programme in the world. It was created back in 2016 when President Infantino was elected the idea is very simple and clear, to redistribute FIFA’s revenues equally the 211 MAs. The core idea is three-fold: Increase the investment into football development worldwide; Achieve more impact with specific and tailor-made projects; and make sure to have more oversight to ensure that the investment in football develop is transparent, carefully managed and effective. For Africa it’s of course the same from Algeria to Zimbabwe.
The five main areas where funds are used are: Infrastructure/ Capacity building/ competition/ National teams & subventions and there are other specific projects depending on each Federations’ needs. In line with its strategy to make football truly global, by the end of 2026 FIFA will have invested a record-breaking figure of USD 5 billion in football. FIFA President, Gianni Infantino : “We hope this stadium will become of source of inspiration for boys and girls from the FIFA Talent Academy who could one day wear proudly the national team jersey. This project is a crucial step in improving football infrastructure and fostering the sport’s continued development in Mauritania and it is exactly the type of project we envisaged when the FIFA Forward Programme was introduced in 2016.”
Deputy Chief Member Associations officer,
Regional Director Africa, Gelson Fernandes : “Today marks a milestone in the journey of Mauritanian football—a true celebration of the nation’s passion for the game. Thanks to the FIFA Forward program, we have officially launched the renovation of the Cheikha Boidiya Stadium, expanding its capacity to 16,000 seats.
This key infrastructure project is a testament to FIFA’s commitment to the growth and development of football in Mauritania. We are proud to stand alongside the Mauritanian Football Federation in shaping a bright future for the sport in the country”.
