FIFA Arena goes mobile as Infantino opens first temporary mini-pitch in Paris

FIFA has launched a mobile version of its FIFA Arena mini-pitch programme after president Gianni Infantino inaugurated the first temporary installation in central Paris, extending a flagship participation initiative that targets grassroots facilities near schools in underprivileged areas.The pop-up mini-pitch was installed on Place de la Concorde and opened with a celebratory match involving Infantino, FIFA Legends and invited guests, kicking off a three-day event designed to highlight infrastructure needs and showcase the concept to cities and partners.“Today we’re launching a new initiative – a mobile FIFA Arena,” Infantino said. “We already have FIFA Arenas, which are just like this one. We want to build thousands of them around the world… But there’s also the possibility of setting up temporary FIFA Arenas to promote football and provide a space for young boys and girls so they can play football safely, in the right conditions.”FIFA Arena was launched in May 2025 and is aimed at delivering 1,000 permanent mini-pitches globally by 2031, with FIFA positioning the programme as both a participation driver and a visible legacy asset tied to its broader development strategy.Infantino linked the Paris site to FIFA’s origins, noting the organisation was founded in the French capital more than a century ago, and said the project’s priority was building safe, accessible pitches in disadvantaged communities and near schools.  FIFA said the initiative has already reached all six confederations, with Infantino pointing to a new installation in Fiji opened in mid-March as evidence of the programme’s geographic footprint.The mobile format provides FIFA with a new activation tool that can be deployed for short periods in prominent public locations, offering a high-profile showcase for sponsors, host-city stakeholders and local federations while reinforcing FIFA’s narrative around grassroots investment and social impact.The Paris event also doubled as the launchpad for FIFA’s “Boots for All” pilot, under which FIFA said it has purchased 20,000 pairs of FIFA-branded boots to distribute free to children in 10 to 15 countries, with Infantino describing footwear as the costliest barrier to participation for many families.“We thought, at FIFA, that our mission should also be to give the opportunity to these children to play football, not only on beautiful pitches, but also wearing beautiful boots,” Infantino said.FIFA said the next phase of the Arena roll-out would combine permanent builds with temporary activations, giving the governing body a scalable model that blends long-term facility investment with event-led visibility and engagement.