From a men's national team ranked outside the top 200 just over a decade ago to a first-ever CAF Africa Cup of Nations round-of-16 finish, Mauritanian football has undergone a dramatic transformation — and FFRIM President Ahmed Yahya credits the FIFA Forward Programme as a cornerstone of that rise.

"We've been improving on the pitch, obviously, but we've also dramatically grown as a federation, with the FIFA Forward Programme playing a vital role in this development," said Mr Yahya, who has led the Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania (FFRIM) since 2011. "Today, we've become a respected organisation and a model for development."

On the pitch and beyond

The Lions of Chinguetti climbed from below 200th in the FIFA/Coca-Cola Men's World Ranking in 2013 to 113th today, qualifying for the CAF Africa Cup of Nations in 2019, 2022, and 2024. That 2019 edition marked a historic first qualification, and the 2024 tournament brought another milestone — a debut appearance in the round of 16.

Progress has extended well beyond the men's game. The women's national team returned to competitive football through the Women's Cup WAFU-A 2025 and the inaugural FIFA Series held in Côte d'Ivoire, where they defeated Pakistan and Turks and Caicos Islands. Coach Jordi Arimany described those FIFA Series matches as "a special moment for my players" and "a tremendous opportunity to improve."

Mauritania also made their first-ever appearance at a FIFA tournament when the beach soccer team competed at the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup 2025™ in Seychelles.

Infrastructure that will serve generations

Since FIFA President Gianni Infantino took office in 2016, the FIFA Forward Programme has directed nearly USD 5.1 billion toward football development globally, with each Member Association eligible for up to USD 8 million in phase 3.0 (2023–26) — a seven-fold increase from early 2016 levels.

In Mauritania, those funds have been deployed with tangible impact. The flagship project is the renovation and expansion of the Stade Cheikha Ould Boïdiya in the capital, Nouakchott, where work is underway to raise capacity to 16,000. A new synthetic pitch has been installed at the Stade Municipal de Nouadhibou, and the federation has acquired vehicles for the women's team, launched a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system in the top domestic division, and upgraded its headquarters and training facilities to include a shop, restaurant, and broadcast centre.

A health centre has also been added to the FFRIM Football Academy in Nouakchott — an investment that helped lay the groundwork for the February 2025 opening of the FIFA Talent Academy Mauritania, the first FIFA Talent Academy on the African continent under FIFA's Talent Development Scheme.

"I would really like to highlight two projects in particular: the academy and the sports and medical centre," Mr Yahya said. "The academy is our future. Today, we are able to recruit young players, train them and support them here in Mauritania, in a place that favours their development, both in terms of sports and education. This is crucial for us."

He added that the medical centre allows the federation to "better support our players, manage their medical follow-up, work on preventing injuries, and provide care and recovery support with appropriate equipment. We are extremely proud of these two projects. They are here for the long run and to serve several generations of players."

A model for development across Africa

Mauritania's commitment to football development was underscored as early as March 2022, when it became the first African country to launch FIFA Football for Schools. The FFRIM has also implemented the FIFA Foundation's Digital Education Programme, which delivers technological tools and learning resources to primary schools in vulnerable communities.

"The Forward Programme has allowed us to structure, invest and build," Mr Yahya said. "This is the impact of the FIFA Forward Programme. We can clearly see the results today, but more importantly, these investments will keep supporting our football for many years to come. This is what makes this programme so important for a federation like ours."