FIFA president Gianni Infantino said football is growing “exponentially” in Nicaragua, a country he visited ahead of a Concacaf congress on Sunday and where boxing and baseball have traditionally been the dominant sports. “What’s being done in Nicaragua is truly exceptional (…) Football is the king of sports in the world, and I have to say that here it’s growing exponentially as well,” Infantino said upon arriving in Managua on Friday night.
He was received at Augusto C. Sandino International Airport by Maurice Ortega Murillo, son of co-presidents Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo, and by Manuel Quintanilla, president of the Nicaraguan Football Federation (FENIFUT), according to the state-run outlet El 19 Digital.
Infantino’s visit was marked by tight secrecy from local authorities and comes in the context of the 41st Concacaf Ordinary Congress, which brings together leaders from the 41 federations in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean. During his stay, Infantino played in a seven-a-side match on Saturday with federation officials at the National Football Stadium “Dignidad.”
Wearing a yellow kit and the captain’s armband, he played in intense heat that led him to wear a cap and even use a portable fan during halftime. “They told me people in Nicaragua played a lot of baseball, not anymore because now they’re playing football like everyone else,” he told sports journalists.
Football has gained momentum in recent years in the Central American nation, long known for baseball and boxing, sports in which its athletes have achieved international recognition. Last year, Nicaragua reached the final round of Concacaf qualifying for the 2026 North America World Cup for the first time. It was eliminated after landing in Group C alongside Costa Rica, Honduras, and Haiti, which secured direct qualification.
As part of investment to support football, Quintanilla announced the reconstruction of the “Dignidad” stadium with a budget of more than $40 million. This is Infantino’s second visit to Nicaragua, after a previous trip in August 2022.
