Children in two West Bank villages now have permanent places to play organised football after FIFA opened two new FIFA Arena mini-pitches in Marah Rabah and Qusin.
The facilities were built with the Palestinian Football Association and funded jointly by FIFA and the Swiss government, giving young people access to football in communities where movement has become increasingly difficult.
Inside FIFA's New West Bank Mini-Pitches and How They Were Funded
The Marah Rabah pitch is in the Thaher Al Thour area, opposite a girls' secondary school south of Bethlehem. The second pitch is in northwest Qusin, near the main road connecting the village to Deir Sharaf.
Both pitches were developed through FIFA's Arena programme, which aims to establish at least 1,000 permanent mini-pitches around the world by 2031. The programme is designed to provide durable facilities rather than temporary spaces.
FIFA supplies balls, bibs, and training equipment alongside the physical surface, aiming to keep the spaces active long after any opening ceremony ends.
The Palestinian Football Association worked directly with FIFA on the construction. The project was co-financed by FIFA and Switzerland's Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, which announced a CHF 120,000 contribution when the wider project was first announced.
The announcement described the two pitches as the first step in plans for additional mini-pitches in FIFA Member Associations Palestine and Israel.
FIFA has said restrictions across the West Bank have made it harder for children to access schools, services and sporting activities. The organisation said the new pitches will give children access to football within their local communities.
Why Children Are Already Playing on the New West Bank Pitches
Both pitches are already open for community use ahead of the official ceremony. Their first organised event is the ‘Unite for Peace: Kids' Cup’, a five-day tournament involving 14 Palestinian teams and up to 160 children.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino said the true measure of the new facilities will not be the ribbon-cutting itself, but what happens on the pitches on an ongoing basis.
The tournament is taking place before the formal inauguration, allowing the pitches to be used from the start. The formal inauguration is scheduled for September 25, after the competition concludes.
How the FIFA Pitches Could Support Grassroots Football
For children in Marah Rabah and Qusin, the project provides more than a new place to play. The pitches give them regular access to a proper playing surface and a dedicated space for organised football in their local communities.
The project also gives local coaches and volunteers the basic tools to run structured sessions and organised activities. With 14 teams and up to 160 children competing over five days, the event gives young players organised match experience.
None of this is being presented by FIFA or in this reporting as a scouting pipeline or a route into professional football.
The stated goal is grassroots participation and everyday access to the game, a foundation that, over time, could support wider football development in these communities. There is no confirmed link to elite academies or professional structures.
