Speaking on Thursday at the inaugural Board of Peace meeting in Washington, DC, Infantino framed football as a powerful global unifier capable of fostering hope and social cohesion.
“Football, or soccer as it's called here, is the world's universal language,” he said. “It is spoken by 6 billion people, 6 billion fans who have the same feelings. It's about hope, it's about joy, it's about happiness. It's about coming together, and it's about uniting the world.”
He added that peace remains fundamental to achieving that unity, announcing the formal collaboration between FIFA and the Board of Peace. “I’m very proud and very happy to announce this,” Infantino said, noting that discussions at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, reinforced the need for action. “We need to help. We need to do something.”
Building Infrastructure and Opportunity
According to Infantino, FIFA’s contribution will extend beyond physical construction to include social development and community rebuilding.
“We also have to rebuild and build people, emotion, hope and trust. And this is what football, my sport, is about,” he said.
A promotional video presented at the meeting outlined plans to create what organizers described as a “complete football ecosystem” in Gaza. The initiative includes the construction of football pitches, FIFA arenas, academies, and a national stadium.
The proposal details:
- 50 FIFA Arena mini-pitches, each estimated at $50,000, totaling approximately $2.5 million.
- Five full-size football pitches in five different districts, with each projected to cost around $1 million.
- A FIFA Academy, estimated at $15 million, aimed at developing young talent and providing structured training opportunities.
- A national stadium with a projected capacity of 20,000 to 25,000 spectators, valued at approximately $50 million.
If implemented as outlined, the project would represent a significant financial commitment and one of the most ambitious sports infrastructure initiatives proposed for the territory in recent years.
Infantino emphasized that the broader goal is to harness football as a tool for long-term development, peacebuilding, and community restoration, positioning sport not merely as entertainment but as a catalyst for social and emotional recovery.