This article was automatically translated from HIBAPRESS, the Arabic version:
Hibapress-Rabat-Fifa
After the completion of a complete renovation funded by the FIFA Forward development programmodern accommodation will now welcome Guatemala national teams to their high performance center. The new rooms and installations were inaugurated on February 11 by Gerardo Paiz, president of the Guatemalan Football Federation (Fedefut).
Thanks to this renovation, the number of rooms has increased by almost 50%, going to 45. Used by senior teams and young male and women, the building will now be able to host three teams instead of two.
Other facilities have also been modernized to make them compliant with the standards required by high -level football. The common areas have been renovated and a small study room was built, allowing young talents to do their homework in good conditions. In addition, an innovative water filtration system has been installed. It is an ecological purification system which supplies the whole building with drinking water and which now allows the Fedefut to bottle its own water to make it available in the building. “As part of the FIFA Forward program, we have made great efforts to renovate the high performance center so that the players and players of our national teams can have a dignified and comfortable environment for their training courses”, said PAIZ.
This inauguration is timely for the national male selection, which aims for a first qualification for the FIFA ™ World Cup. Engaged in the second round of Concacaf qualifications for the FIFA World Cup 2026 ™,, Los chapines have already won their first two games in group E and will play the next two in June, first against the Dominican Republic, at home, then against Jamaica, outside. The two best teams in the group will then go to the third round.
“This day marks a new step forward for football in Guatemala,” said Gianni Infantino, president of FIFA, in a speech previously registered and broadcast during the event. Referring to his visit to the country in August 2022, he added: “I saw the immense passion and the love that you all have for football and which, allied with your intelligence as well as your hard work, you allow these superb installations today. »»
The president of FIFA stressed the importance of having good infrastructures for the development of football and said that this project corresponded exactly to which the FIFA forward program was designed.
“As we all know, so that players can be efficient on the green rectangle, they need rest and recovery outside the field, and the renovation of the accommodation areas of the high performance center offers everyone Guatemah footballers and footballers the environment they and they need. »»
“Male selection will certainly realize it when it will use the center as part of its preparation for the meetings of the preliminary competition of the FIFA World Cup 2026, scheduled for June. I can also guarantee you that we will be by your side and collaborate with you to help you achieve your future goals. »»
Jair Bertoni, regional director of the FIFA member association division for the Americas, was present at the event. On the occasion of his Travel to Guatemala in 2022Mr. Infantino had visited the High Performance Center, the Fedefut headquarters, the National Stadium and the Dome of Futsal.
In August 2023, the Fedefut inaugurated a New synthetic field Thanks to the FIFA’s Forward program, which also made it possible to finance the procedure for obtaining the building permit as well as legal authorizations within the framework of a separate project.
In 2024, the FIFA Forward program made it possible to organize the inaugural editions of three national young competitions, one for the under 11 and two for those under 13, thus offering them the possibility of playing matches to A challenge that stimulates the development of talents at the same time on and off the field.
