President of the Republic of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, together with FIFA President Gianni Infantino, shared a special Christmas moment with young football players during the FIFA Football Festival, held at Amahoro Stadium on Friday, December 26, 2025.
The event brought together 220 children from football academies across the country, who received footballs as Christmas gifts. The initiative aimed at promoting grassroots football development in Rwanda while celebrating the festive season with young talents.
The children who took part came from 11 football academies nationwide. Among them were 100 girls from five academies, aged under 13 and under 15, and 120 boys from six academies, aged under 11, 13, and 15. They were accompanied by 10 coaches who support their development.
President Kagame expressed appreciation to Gianni Infantino for choosing to spend his Christmas in Rwanda, highlighting the significance of sharing such moments with children.
“I thank Gianni Infantino for choosing to celebrate Christmas here with us, when he could have been elsewhere or with his family. Thank you very much, Gianni,” President Kagame said.
He added that football goes beyond entertainment and plays an important role in promoting peace and unity among people.
“This stadium is called Amahoro Stadium, meaning peace. Football helps bring people together and promote peace. Even when peace is lacking in some parts of our region, we have used football as a tool to spread peace both here and beyond,” he noted.
In his remarks, FIFA President Gianni Infantino praised Rwanda for its modern sports infrastructure, particularly Amahoro Stadium, which he described as an excellent venue for the upcoming FIFA Series matches scheduled to take place in Kigali in March 2026.
“Dear children, I am very happy and proud to be here with you. Merry Christmas to everyone. You are the future, and you are our priority as children of Rwanda, a wonderful country,” Infantino said.
Minister of Sports, Nelly Mukazayire, thanked FIFA for its continued support toward football development in Rwanda. She noted that through the FIFA Forward program, four modern football pitches are currently under construction in Gicumbi, Rusizi, Rutsiro, and at FERWAFA headquarters.
She emphasized that these facilities will help improve training conditions, promote inclusion through sports, and nurture young talents across the country.
Infantino also revealed that FIFA plans to build 20 additional football pitches in schools across Rwanda as part of its long-term commitment to grassroots football development.
Speaking on behalf of coaches, Séraphine Umunyana from the Paris Saint-Germain Academy highlighted the importance of providing footballs to children, explaining that frequent contact with the ball plays a major role in developing skills at a young age.
It is expected that 5,000 footballs will be distributed nationwide through the FIFA Football Festival, reinforcing efforts to grow football from the grassroots level and inspire the next generation of Rwandan footballers.
Post Comment