FIFA opens two new sports arenas for children in Palestine - PHOTO
Thanks to two new FIFA Arena mini-pitches in Marah Rabah (south of Bethlehem) and Kusin (in the north of the West Bank), children and residents of the Palestinian region — a FIFA member association — have received a much-needed space to play, compete, and spend time together.
The pitches, developed by FIFA together with the Palestinian Football Association and co-financed by the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland, are already open to the local population. Their launch came at a particularly difficult time for communities across the West Bank, where restrictions have disrupted the usual way of life and made access to schools, services, sports, and other activities more difficult.
Against this backdrop, the two new FIFA Arenas are intended above all as practical facilities for the local population: places where children can safely play football, exercise regularly, and interact with one another, despite the surrounding circumstances.
Until September 25, the new pitches will host the “Unite for Peace: Kids’ Cup” tournament, which will bring together 14 local Palestinian teams and up to 160 children. The tournament program includes group matches, quarterfinals, semifinals, and a final, as well as additional football events for children and residents of the surrounding villages and towns. This initiative uses the power of the “beautiful game” to promote peace, friendship, inclusiveness, team spirit, mutual respect, and fair play as part of FIFA’s “Unite for Peace” campaign.
“The value of these FIFA Arena facilities will be determined by what happens on the pitches day after day,” said FIFA President Gianni Infantino. “For children living in communities where life is often disrupted by restrictions and uncertainty, having a place where they can play football, meet friends, and take part in organized sport is more important than ever. Especially now, as we mark the International Day of Peace, we hope that these FIFA Arenas will serve local residents for many years to come.”
The “Unite for Peace: Kids’ Cup” will mark the beginning of the regular use of both facilities. The pitches will not remain merely symbolic projects, but will immediately become active centers of community life. The tournament will conclude on September 25 with the final, an awards ceremony, and the official opening of the two FIFA Arenas.
One of the facilities is located in the Zaher Al-Tur area opposite the girls’ secondary school in Marah Rabah, and the second is in the northwestern part of the village of Kusin, next to the main road connecting Kusin and Deir Sharaf. These two mini-pitches serve as an example of FIFA’s broader efforts to expand access to football infrastructure.
The “Unite for Peace: Kids’ Cup” is being held as part of FIFA’s “Unite for Peace” campaign and is part of the FIFA Arena Programme — FIFA’s initiative to create safe, durable, and accessible football spaces in communities around the world, accompanied by the provision of football equipment to support ongoing sporting activity.
The opening of the pitches for the children’s cup coincides with the International Day of Peace, which is celebrated annually on September 21. However, for the residents of Marah Rabah and Kusin, the significance of the FIFA Arena project goes beyond this symbolic date. The main goal is to leave behind a permanent, functioning space where children can regularly play, train, and meet, bringing real benefits to people facing serious restrictions in their daily lives.
