President Paul Kagame and FIFA President Gianni Infantino on Friday, December 26, 2025, interacted with 220 children aged between 13 and 15 from various football academies across Rwanda during the FIFA Football Festival held at Amahoro Stadium in Kigali.
The event, which seeks to promote a passion for football among young people, was attended by several high-level officials, including President Kagame as the Guest of Honour, FIFA President Gianni Infantino, Rwanda Football Federation (FERWAFA) President Shema Ngoga Fabrice, Minister of Sports Nelly Mukazayire, and other invited guests.
The festival brought together 220 young participants—120 boys and 100 girls—from 11 football academies located across different parts of the country. These academies included five for girls and six for boys, reflecting efforts to promote inclusivity and equal participation in sports development.
As part of the initiative, footballs were distributed to all participating academies to support training and talent development. A total of 250 footballs were handed out during the event, with plans underway to distribute 5,000 footballs nationwide.
In addition to attending the FIFA Football Festival, Gianni Infantino also watched a Rwanda Premier League Matchday 13 fixture between Gasogi United and AS Kigali at Kigali Pelé Stadium, where the two teams played to a 1–1 draw.
Other officials accompanying the FIFA President included Minister of Sports Nelly Mukazayire, Head of the FIFA Football Development Centre in Kigali Davis Ndayisenga, and FERWAFA President Shema Fabrice, highlighting the continued collaboration between FIFA and Rwanda in strengthening football development at both grassroots and national levels.
KIGALI TIMES