FIFA unveils expanded 2026 FIFA Series, adding women’s competition and wider global reach

2025-11-22     HAN, June
FIFA Series will return in 2026

 

FIFA has confirmed that an expanded edition of the FIFA Series will return in 2026, with both men’s and women’s national teams set to take part in a broadened cross-continental initiative aimed at boosting competitive balance and global development.

The revamped programme, which will run across the March and April international windows next year, builds on the pilot staged in 2024 and will, for the first time, include a dedicated series for women’s national teams. FIFA says the expansion reflects its ambition to provide more meaningful international match-ups outside the usual confederation boundaries.

Cross-continental football, bigger footprint

FIFA will stage the men’s edition across a diverse set of host nations, including Australia, Azerbaijan, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Mauritius, Puerto Rico, Rwanda and Uzbekistan, with discussions ongoing to add further venues.

The women’s iteration will launch with events in Brazil, Côte d’Ivoire and Thailand, with the full roster of hosts to be confirmed in early 2026.

Each hub will bring together national teams from different confederations for friendly fixtures designed to provide technical and cultural exchange — without adding to the already-crowded international match calendar.

A development tool with global ambitions

The governing body insists the FIFA Series sits at the heart of its Strategic Objectives for the Global Game: 2023–2027, a framework that prioritises competitive balance, technical growth and broader international connectivity.

“The FIFA Series is about unlocking development potential for players, coaches and fans, while promoting football’s universality and diversity,” said FIFA president Gianni Infantino. “By connecting nations through competition, the 2026 edition will strengthen the game at every level — bringing local communities to the global stage.”

For many participating member associations, the project offers a rare chance to face opponents they would not normally encounter, with FIFA positioning the initiative as a practical pathway to raise standards in emerging football nations.

Benefits beyond the scoreboard

FIFA believes the cross-continental nature of the series can generate:

  • Technical improvement, with teams exposed to unfamiliar tactical styles

  • Commercial uplift, particularly for countries seeking new markets and visibility

  • Cultural exchange, by linking communities through shared football experiences

The arrangement also replicates some of the organisational and competitive pressures of major tournaments, allowing developing football nations to test their structures in real time.

Approved by the FIFA Council in 2022, the initiative is now moving into its first full-scale edition, with FIFA signalling strong interest from across the global membership. Further hosts and participants will be confirmed in the months ahead as the 2026 programme takes shape.