FIFA, the global governing body for football, has unveiled a fresh competition for men’s national teams, scheduled to take place during the upcoming international break.

The official FIFA X account announced this development on Tuesday, March 5, 2024. The FIFA Series will feature participation from 20 nations, engaging in matches set to unfold during the international break spanning from March 18 to 26, 2024.

The pilot project includes national teams from all six of FIFA’s confederations. These teams, carefully selected, have been organized into five groups, each to be hosted by Algeria, Azerbaijan, Saudi Arabia, and Sri Lanka.

Algeria will host Andorra, Bolivia and South Africa, the other group will see Bulgaria, Mongolia and Tanzania feature in a group containing hosts Azerbaijan, while Sri Lanka host Bhutan, Central African Republic and Papua New Guinea.

Cape Verde, Cambodia, Equatorial Guinea and Guyana will contest one of the two groups based in Saudi Arabia, with the second featuring Bermuda, Brunei Darussalam, Guinea and Vanuatu.

FIFA’s President, Gianni Infantino in a press conference said that this has been an appeal stating that they have always wanted to compete against their counterparts from around the world.

He said:-

“The FIFA Series is a positive step forward for national-team football at a global level. Our member associations have been telling us for a long time now of their desire to test themselves against their counterparts from all around the world, and now they can do so within the current Men’s International Match Calendar. More meaningful matches will enable far more valuable footballing interaction for players, teams and fans, and will make a concrete contribution to the development of the game.’

FIFA are set to cover travel costs for competing teams, but will not award trophies for the winners of the friendly series. The governing body has suggested that while more established nations typically have their friendlies arranged in advance, bigger teams may take part in the future.