FIFA President Gianni Infantino has inaugurated the first FIFA Arena mini-pitch in Lebanon, opening the facility in Chanay in the Mount Lebanon region alongside senior football and community leaders.

Infantino — who was granted Lebanese citizenship in November 2025 and received his passport during a visit in February — was joined at the ceremony by His Eminence Sheikh Sami Abi Al-Muna, the Sheikh Akl and leader of the Druze community in Lebanon, as well as Lebanese Football Association (LFA) President Hachem Haidar and other dignitaries.

"I'm very happy to be here today. Lebanon is home. Lebanon is my country, like it is your country," Infantino said at the inauguration. "This is the first of many FIFA Arenas — we have three in the plan already but will make many more. It's really special."

The FIFA President framed the initiative in broader terms, emphasising its role in offering opportunity to children in local communities. "Our responsibility is to give them opportunity, our responsibility is to give them hope, our responsibility is to give them a future," he said. "We want to work together for the future of these children, for peace, for unity, for coming together in joy and happiness."

The Chanay pitch will soon be followed by FIFA Arenas in Niha and Halba, as part of a global drive to establish at least 1,000 such facilities worldwide by 2031 — with accessibility for underprivileged communities at its core.

Haidar welcomed the milestone, noting the significance of a project that reaches directly into Lebanese society. "Our meeting today is completely different, as we are celebrating a project that directly reaches our communities and, most importantly, the lives of our children," he said.

Sheikh Sami Abi Al-Muna added a message of hope: "We thank you for this pitch. It may be small in size, but it carries great meaning and great dreams."

Bigger plans on the horizon

Beyond the mini-pitches, Infantino and Haidar also announced plans for a major new football facility in Lebanon — one that would include a national stadium, a technical training centre, and the LFA's new headquarters.

"This project has now reached the final stages of study, so that work can begin on a facility that includes a football stadium and a training centre, and the headquarters of the Lebanese Football Association," Haidar explained.

Infantino described the development as a symbol of Lebanon's future. "It will be a symbol of the new Lebanon, of a country that the whole world loves, but a country that is looking into the future, into a bright future," he said, adding that the vision encompasses women's football, men's football, youth academies, and school programmes.

The LFA has already been active in developing the game domestically, with three stadiums — Tyre Municipal Stadium, Majdel Baana Stadium, and Jamal Abdul Nasser Stadium — currently undergoing renovations funded through the FIFA Forward Programme. Lebanon also participated alongside Puerto Rico in the pilot phase of the FIFA Football for Schools programme in 2019, and has implemented the FIFA Talent Development Scheme to raise national team standards.