FIFA president promises to build more football arenas in Seychelles 

Infantino (2nd left) and President Ramkalawan with FIFA delegation and top government officials. (Seychelles News Agency)

Developing football infrastructures will be one area where FIFA will support Seychelles in the coming years, says the organisation's president, Gianni Infantino on Friday.

The president of the international football's governing body made the statement after he met with Seychelles' President and also the patron of the country's football federation, Wavel Ramkalawan, at State House. 

Infantino, who is a 52-year-old Swiss-Italian lawyer, told reporters that he was happy to meet a president, who is a great football fan, and to discuss the impact of football in Seychelles.

"We also had discussions about infrastructure, whereby the government will provide the land and we will build football arenas in the country, along with the local federation," he said.

Infantino met with the Seychelles' President on Friday. (Seychelles Nation) Photo License: CC-BY

FIFA is financially supporting the Seychelles Football Federation (SFF) in the laying of a new Astro turf pitch at the national stadium, Stad Linite, and has helped the country with various infrastructures in the past.

Infantino arrived in Seychelles with a delegation that includes FIFA deputy secretary general for football, Mathias Grafstrom, senior football adviser, Youri Djorkaeff, manager of the FIFA development programme,  Celine Zigaul, and Gelson Fernandes, director for African member associations. 

While in Seychelles, Infantino is visiting several football projects funded by FIFA under the Forward 1.0 and Forward 2.0 programmes and will officially inaugurate the Astro turf playing field at Roche Caiman, near the SFF headquarters.

He will also join mixed teams of under-17 boys and girls for a football match.

Infantino was first elected to the position when the mandate of Joseph Blatte, the president at the time, expired due to a suspension in 2016. He was re-elected for a fourth term in office at the 73rd FIFA Congress on March 16, 2023.

According to FIFA laws, he may run for re-election from 2027 until 2031.