President Paul Kagame on Friday joined FIFA President Gianni Infantino and hundreds of children at Amahoro Stadium for the FIFA Football Clinic/Festival, a programme aimed at promoting friendship, joy and talent development through football.

The event brought together 220 children 100 girls and 120 boys drawn from various football academies, all aged under 11, under 13 and under 15. The initiative, organised by FIFA in collaboration with the Rwanda Football Federation (FERWAFA), seeks to nurture young talent and instill a love for football from an early age.

During the clinic, the children trained under the guidance of 10 selected professional youth coaches, before being divided into teams to play friendly matches. The competition was non-trophy-based, with all participants rewarded equally to encourage inclusion and teamwork.

FERWAFA announced that the programme will see footballs distributed to children across the country, with 250 balls handed out during the event at Amahoro Stadium. Each participating child received a personal football, while a total of 5,000 balls are expected to be distributed nationwide through the FIFA Football Clinic/Festival.

Speaking at the event, President Kagame assured young Rwandans of continued government support in developing their talents, including investment in sports infrastructure and youth-focused programmes.

“Stadiums are there, footballs are there, and you want to play. What remains is your commitment,” President Kagame told the children, urging them to value teamwork and collective success. He emphasized that football is not about individual brilliance alone, but about working together towards a shared goal.

President Kagame also highlighted the deeper role of football in promoting unity and peace, praising FIFA President Gianni Infantino for using the sport to bring people together across borders and differences.

“This stadium is called Amahoro Stadium, a place of peace. Football has the power to unite people, even where there are disagreements. We need more peace in our region, and football contributes to that,” President Kagame said.

The Head of State further commended Gianni Infantino for choosing to spend Christmas in Rwanda with young footballers, describing it as a meaningful gesture of solidarity and friendship.

“Christmas is usually a time to be with family, yet he chose to be here with our children, sharing joy through football. Thank you, Gianni,” President Kagame said.

The FIFA Football Clinic/Festival forms part of FIFA’s broader Football for Schools programme, launched in Kigali in 2023, which uses sport as a tool for education, social cohesion and youth development.