Sri Lanka players recently participated in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Qualification Round 2 at the Hwasung Sports Complex in South Korea. This March international break marked the inaugural FIFA Series, where twenty national soccer teams from various FIFA confederations competed. The series aims to provide more opportunities for lower-ranked teams, with Algeria being the only top 50 ranked team among the participants, and the average FIFA ranking of the teams standing at 131.
For many teams, this event offers a rare chance to play against opponents from different confederations. Notably, Bhutan will face the Central African Republic in Sri Lanka, marking their first encounter with an African team. Bhutan had previously played only one team outside of Asia, Montserrat, in 2002, which was documented in 'The Other Final.'
The FIFA Series is being held at four centralized locations: Sri Lanka, Algeria, Azerbaijan, and Saudi Arabia. Elkhan Mammadov, FIFA's Regional Member Associations Director for Europe, emphasized the challenge lower-ranked teams face in finding opponents for friendly matches, making events like the FIFA Series crucial.
Teams like Sri Lanka, the lowest ranked in this series, benefit from such events due to limited recent game opportunities. The structured World Cup qualification process, which sees some Asian teams eliminated after just two games, further underscores the importance of events like the FIFA Series.
Aside from the matches, the centralized locations offer teams a week-long stay in one country, aiding in preparation, team spirit, and coaching. Saudi Arabia, though not participating, is hosting several matches, with teams like Bermuda, Brunei Darussalam, and Vanuatu traveling long distances for the event.
FIFA is assisting with travel costs and providing a minimum lump sum to each team. Mammadov highlighted the potential for teams to attract sponsors through the series, as FIFA is not taking over sponsorship of the matches.
The 2024 FIFA Series serves as a pilot program, with FIFA planning a larger event for the March 2026 international break. Mammadov mentioned that FIFA has received interest from numerous countries for the 2026 series, hinting at the possibility of double the number of participants compared to the current year.
