FIFA brought together 52 professionals from 23 Member Associations across Concacaf and CONMEBOL in Mexico City last month for the inaugural in-person workshop of the FIFA Campus Infrastructure Essentials Programme — a landmark initiative designed to strengthen the planning, maintenance, and long-term sustainability of football facilities across the Americas.

The two-day event, held on 15 and 16 October, followed an online preparatory session on 8 October. Participants gathered first at the Mexican Football Association's (FMF) High Performance Centre (CAR) and then at Mexico City Stadium, a venue that has hosted the FIFA World Cup™ on three occasions — most recently as the stage for the opening match of FIFA World Cup 2026™.

Funding and expertise working together

At the heart of the programme is the relationship between the FIFA Forward Programme — which provides financial resources for infrastructure development — and FIFA Campus, which delivers the technical training to ensure those investments are managed effectively over time.

FIFA Director of Member Association Services Tom Gorissen set out the logic clearly.