Dubai Hosts FIFA Global Awards as Infantino Unveils Ambitious Football Futures
29 December 2025
Dubai Becomes a Global Football Stage
FIFA President Gianni Infantino announced in Dubai that, from next year, the city will become a worldwide platform to honor football stars—players, coaches, clubs, and legends—through the FIFA World Awards. He stressed that sport, and football in particular, is a universal force that spreads joy and unites nations.
A Bold Vision for Development and Competition
Speaking at the opening of the World Sports Summit in Dubai, Infantino said he was delighted to be there and praised the city. He added that he is here for Dubai and for everyone, hoping for energy for the year ahead and momentum for football's development, youth, championships, and more opportunities for children worldwide to compete and shine.
He outlined plans to increase under-17 world cups for boys and girls, create a World Cup festival for under-15, involve all 211 FIFA member associations, invest in women's football, with the next Women's World Cup in 2027, a first Women's Masters tournament in London, and a Women's Club World Cup, stressing the importance of investing in women's sport.
Infantino emphasized investing in the game itself—keeping it relevant, attacking, and attractive—through technologies like VAR to ensure fairness, and ongoing improvements to help referees make correct decisions.
He also mentioned reviewing laws to make the game more attacking, including considerations about the offside rule, and reducing time-wasting to keep matches flowing smoothly.
In his words, players are central, praising the legends who write history; the job of FIFA leadership is to stage them for performances that inspire fans around the world.
He spoke of billions invested to develop football in 211 nations, establishing academies worldwide, and projecting 100 academies in 100 countries next year. He recalled launching a new Club World Cup format in the United States, with Chelsea beating Paris Saint-Germain in the final — a highly exciting moment.
On the World Cup, Infantino announced the next edition will be hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, featuring 48 teams and 104 matches—equivalent to about a hundred Super Bowls in a month—promising a threshold of stadium crowds of around 6 to 7 million and billions watching at home, with revenues exceeding 10 billion dollars aimed at global development.
Regarding demand, he noted 150 million ticket requests in two weeks, averaging 10 million per day, vastly surpassing the 44 million tickets sold in the tournament’s first century.
Punchline 1: If Dubai can host all this, the ball will soon need a passport.
Punchline 2: My sofa just filed a sponsorship deal with the remote control—home advantage has never felt so real.
