FIFA: 'Most Important Project' Is Not World Cup
2022-11-04
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1This year's soccer World Cup in Qatar begins on November 20.
2But the international tournament is not FIFA's "most important project."
3The world soccer organization says its top project is called Football for Schools.
4The plan is to provide soccer balls to schools around the world so 700 million children can learn about the game.
5The organization wants to give away 11 million balls and provide a mobile phone program, or app, so adults can teach children how to play.
6Fatimata Sow Sidibe heads the project for FIFA.
7The goal is to reach half the children in the world aged four to 14.
8The program started in 2019 but was delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
9It started again this year with a budget of $100 million.
10That amount is about one percent of what Qatar spent building stadiums.
11Steve Pila is running the project in South Africa.
12He called it "the most important project in the world of football."
13Football is another word for soccer.
14Pila said the other part of the project - the coaching app for smart phones - is important.
15Many schools do not have a person trained in coaching soccer.
16"Even a teacher in the most rural area is able to take young boys and girls together, and at the palm of your hand, you have something to do with them," he said.
17Pila said the largest problem for soccer in South Africa is that there are not enough good coaches.
18The app "fills the gap just a little."
19The 2026 World Cup will be co-hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico and it is unlikely that the Football for Schools program will find the next big world star by then.
20Player development, especially among such young children, takes time.
21Sow Sidibe said it is hard to find investors in a project like this because it takes too long to see results.
22However, research shows that the best players in the world all had regular experience playing soccer before they turned 10.
23Lionel Messi played for a team in Argentina starting at the age of four.
24Cristiano Ronaldo played regularly by the time he was seven.
25FIFA said there are more than 500 million children in the world who do not play soccer very often.
26Mzimkhulu Fina is with the South African Football Association.
27He said: "We are spreading the net now."
28Football for Schools is centering its work on children in poor countries.
29It is already working in 18 countries and plans to start on the Caribbean Sea area next.
30In 2023 it will move to India where it hopes to reach 1.8 million children.
31Soccer officials want the program to move into all 211 countries that are members of FIFA.
32Africa faces many difficulties.
33But 400 million children under the age of 10 live there and soccer is the top sport.
34Pila said many children who are interested in a soccer career must leave their homes.
35He gave an example of Sadio Mane of Senegal who plays for Bayern Munich in Germany.
36He is one of the world's best players, but he grew up in Bambali in southern Senegal.
37He had to leave for Dakar when he was a teenager so he could be discovered.
38Pila said many other young people do this, but unlike Mane, "so many are missed."
39Yaya Toure of Ivory Coast went on to play for Barcelona in Spain and Manchester City in Britain.
40He said there are good players in Africa, "but if they are not surrounded by all they need to be among the top ... it's going to be difficult."
41Pila said there is one more part of the Football for Schools program.
42Inside the app is a part about life skills. It tells young players that they will need more than their soccer skills to have a good life.
43The program is designed by UNESCO, the United Nations' education agency.
44UNESCO believes putting more soccer programs in schools will keep young students interested in attending class longer.
45"You know football is not long-lived," Pila said.
46"You play it as long as you are under 35. Unless you are Cristiano Ronaldo."
47I'm Dan Friedell.
1This year's soccer World Cup in Qatar begins on November 20. But the international tournament is not FIFA's "most important project." 2The world soccer organization says its top project is called Football for Schools. 3The plan is to provide soccer balls to schools around the world so 700 million children can learn about the game. The organization wants to give away 11 million balls and provide a mobile phone program, or app, so adults can teach children how to play. 4Fatimata Sow Sidibe heads the project for FIFA. The goal is to reach half the children in the world aged four to 14. 5The program started in 2019 but was delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It started again this year with a budget of $100 million. 6That amount is about one percent of what Qatar spent building stadiums. 7Steve Pila is running the project in South Africa. He called it "the most important project in the world of football." Football is another word for soccer. 8Pila said the other part of the project - the coaching app for smart phones - is important. Many schools do not have a person trained in coaching soccer. 9"Even a teacher in the most rural area is able to take young boys and girls together, and at the palm of your hand, you have something to do with them," he said. 10Pila said the largest problem for soccer in South Africa is that there are not enough good coaches. The app "fills the gap just a little." 11The 2026 World Cup will be co-hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico and it is unlikely that the Football for Schools program will find the next big world star by then. Player development, especially among such young children, takes time. 12Sow Sidibe said it is hard to find investors in a project like this because it takes too long to see results. 13However, research shows that the best players in the world all had regular experience playing soccer before they turned 10. Lionel Messi played for a team in Argentina starting at the age of four. Cristiano Ronaldo played regularly by the time he was seven. 14FIFA said there are more than 500 million children in the world who do not play soccer very often. 15Mzimkhulu Fina is with the South African Football Association. He said: "We are spreading the net now." 16Football for Schools is centering its work on children in poor countries. It is already working in 18 countries and plans to start on the Caribbean Sea area next. In 2023 it will move to India where it hopes to reach 1.8 million children. Soccer officials want the program to move into all 211 countries that are members of FIFA. 17Africa faces many difficulties. But 400 million children under the age of 10 live there and soccer is the top sport. 18Pila said many children who are interested in a soccer career must leave their homes. He gave an example of Sadio Mane of Senegal who plays for Bayern Munich in Germany. He is one of the world's best players, but he grew up in Bambali in southern Senegal. He had to leave for Dakar when he was a teenager so he could be discovered. 19Pila said many other young people do this, but unlike Mane, "so many are missed." 20Yaya Toure of Ivory Coast went on to play for Barcelona in Spain and Manchester City in Britain. He said there are good players in Africa, "but if they are not surrounded by all they need to be among the top ... it's going to be difficult." 21Pila said there is one more part of the Football for Schools program. Inside the app is a part about life skills. It tells young players that they will need more than their soccer skills to have a good life. The program is designed by UNESCO, the United Nations' education agency. UNESCO believes putting more soccer programs in schools will keep young students interested in attending class longer. 22"You know football is not long-lived," Pila said. "You play it as long as you are under 35. Unless you are Cristiano Ronaldo." 23I'm Dan Friedell. 24Dan Friedell adapted this story for VOA Learning English based on a report by the Associated Press. 25________________________________________________________________________ 26Words in This Story 27tournament -n. a sports competition or series of contests that involves many players and teams and continues for several days 28stadium -n. a large building, usually without a top, in which sports are played on a field surrounded by seating 29app (application) -n. a computer program that carries out a special task 30gap -n. an area where something is missing 31_____________________________________________________________________ 32We want to hear from you. Do you think the FIFA program will work? 33We have a new comment system. Here is how it works: 34Each time you return to comment on the Learning English site, you can use your account and see your comments and replies to them. Our comment policy is here.