FIFA President: We Will Support the Construction of a National Stadium in Armenia

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan received FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who is visiting our country as part of the events dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the Armenian Football Federation (AFF).

According to the government of Armenia, the Prime Minister welcomed Gianni Infantino's visit to Armenia and his participation in the AFF's 30th-anniversary events, which reflects the effective cooperation between FIFA and AFF. Nikol Pashinyan noted with satisfaction that in recent years, approximately 90 small sports fields have been built in Armenia with the support of FIFA as part of government programs.

“The development of football infrastructure has not only sports significance but also great educational, social, and cultural importance. The government has initiated radical reforms in the field of healthy living and emphasizes cooperation with FIFA and other international partners,” highlighted the Prime Minister.

Thanking for the appreciation, FIFA President remarked that it is his first visit to Armenia and he is impressed by our country’s rich history and culture. Gianni Infantino emphasized the importance of the link between sports and education and noted that FIFA will continue to support Armenia in developing football infrastructure and thus in creating not only a sporting but also an educational and social environment.

The two sides exchanged thoughts on the cooperation agenda, particularly regarding the construction of a national stadium. The Prime Minister stated that building a national stadium that meets international standards is one of the government's priorities, and certain work is being done in that direction. The FIFA President emphasized the significance of such infrastructure for the country’s sports reputation and mentioned that FIFA will assist in this process as much as possible with its toolkit. In this context, AFF President Armen Melikbekyan presented the work that has been done so far.

Both sides reaffirmed their readiness to strengthen partnership and emphasized the important contribution of FIFA Foundation Executive Director and renowned Armenian footballer Youri Djorkaeff in this endeavor. Gianni Infantino presented the Prime Minister of Armenia with a personalized jersey and a specially branded ball from the 2022 FIFA World Cup.