FIFA President Gianni Infantino has told FIFA’s 54 Member Associations in Africa that next year's inaugural 32-team FIFA Club World Cup™ will contribute to developing football both on their own continent and around the rest of the world. Speaking at the 46th Confederation of African Football (CAF) Ordinary General Assembly in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Mr Infantino also emphasised the importance of winning the fight against racism and said the expanded FIFA World Cup 26™ had contributed to more investment and football development in Africa. Four African teams - Al Ahly FC, Wydad AC, Espérance Tunis and Mamelodi Sundowns - will take part at the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States in 2025, giving them the chance to face teams from other parts of the world in competitive matches.

"Club football was at the basis of football. It was born as a national movement. It then became more and more continental as well, and after 150 years of history of football, it's time that club football, as well, becomes global," Mr Infantino said. "We want all of you to have a chance, and your players to have a chance to shine [on] the global stage… it will contribute, again, to developing football in Africa and in all corners of the world, because this is our mission."

Mr Infantino added that all six confederations were united around FIFA's Strategic Objectives which included the introduction of the tournament. "It's the mission of all of us to give opportunities, to give hope, to give chances, to improve and to participate," he said. On racism, the FIFA President thanked the member associations for supporting FIFA's Global Stand Against racism, taken at the 74th FIFA Congress in Bangkok, Thailand, on 17 May 2024. “I think this is a fundamental fight that we need to win, and that we are winning because we are united,” he said.

He said he was proud of the way African football had evolved in the last few years, focusing on five areas: football development, men’s national team football, women’s national team football, club football and youth football.

The FIFA Forward programme now provides USD 2 million annually to each of FIFA’s 211 Member Associations to invest in football development. “I’m very grateful for [the] huge contribution of FIFA Forward and the money that comes from FIFA. We need football in every one of the nations in Africa,” said CAF President Patrice Motsepe in his subsequent address.

Mr Infantino said that FIFA’s decision to expand the FIFA World Cup™ from 32 to 48 teams from 2026, with the number of African places increased from five to nine or 10, was “boosting football investment and football development all over Africa”.

Similarly, the expansion of the FIFA Women’s World Cup™, from 24 to 32 teams at the last edition in 2023, had provided more opportunities with the number of African places increased from three to four, plus the possibility of a further two via the Play-Off Tournament. The FIFA President also encouraged member associations to invest in youth football and take advantage of the expanded youth competitions, with Morocco to host the next five editions of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup™, which will become an annual event, from 2025. His address included a tribute to former CAF President Issa Hayatou who passed away on 8 August 2024. Mr Hayatou was CAF President from 1988 to 2017, a FIFA Council member from 1990 to 2017, FIFA Vice President and FIFA President ad interim from October 2015 until February 2016.