Rwanda is set to host part of the FIFA Series 2026, becoming one of the countries selected to stage the global development-focused tournament.
The FIFA Series is designed to bring together national teams from different continents for international friendly matches that would not normally take place. The goal is to promote football development both on and off the pitch.
The 2026 edition will feature 48 national teams, nearly a quarter of FIFA’s 211 Member Associations. These teams will compete in 12 groups of four, hosted across 11 countries.
Rwanda will host two groups in the men’s competition. The matches will be played at Amahoro Stadium and Kigali Pele Stadium.
The participating teams in Rwanda are divided into two groups. In Rwanda A, the teams are Estonia, Grenada, Kenya and hosts Rwanda. In Rwanda B, Aruba, Liechtenstein, Macau and Tanzania will compete.
Globally, the men’s tournament will be hosted by countries including Australia, Azerbaijan, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Rwanda and Uzbekistan. The women’s competition will take place in Brazil, Côte d’Ivoire and Thailand.
The FIFA Series will include teams from all six confederations, with rankings ranging from top sides like Australia to emerging nations such as the US Virgin Islands. In the women’s category, teams range from Brazil to Turks and Caicos.
All matches will be played as international friendlies, but with a competitive format. Depending on the group, teams will either play semi-finals and finals or follow pre-arranged fixtures. Any match that ends in a draw will go straight to a penalty shootout, with no extra time.
Each group will produce one winner, with FIFA allowing flexibility in formats to make the games more competitive and engaging.
Meanwhile, a fourth women’s group has been added in Kenya. Matches will be played at the Nyayo National Stadium, where Kenya will host Australia, India and Malawi. The fixtures will begin on April 11, with the final and third-place match scheduled four days later.
