FIFA is set to launch a new series of friendly matches called the "FIFA Series," where teams from different confederations will compete in one location during the international window.
The pilot project will kick off in four countries next month, as the world football's governing body announced on Monday.
While there are no trophies or prize money involved, the Series aims to benefit national teams that typically have limited opportunities to play against teams from other confederations. FIFA will cover the travel costs for participating teams.
The FIFA Series will have a soft launch from March 18-26 in four locations: Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Azerbaijan and Sri Lanka. Four teams will be based in each location and play two matches each.
"Some countries have never played teams outside their confederations," said Elkhan Mammadov, FIFA's Regional Member Associations Director for Europe. "They can gain competitive experience playing teams outside their own confederation, playing teams with a completely different style of play.
"Currently, we have 20 teams for the pilot edition. For the 2026 edition, we hope to have many more."
Saudi Arabia will host two groups, although the hosts themselves will not be involved in the matches, which are designed to benefit teams that have never qualified for the World Cup.
"The next World Cup (in 2026) will have 48 teams, which means you may have many member associations who have never played in a World Cup," said Kenny Jean-Marie, FIFA's Chief Member Associations Officer. "They may arrive in the U.S., Mexico, or Canada with no international experience outside their continent."
Mammadov said they are currently working on fixing television broadcast deals for the series, and they will also look to stream matches on the FIFA+ platform.
He added there were no disagreements with confederations regarding scheduling these tournaments as they were being played during the international break. The next edition in 2026 could see bigger teams looking to take part.
"We've started discussions with high-ranked teams, and they hope to play and even host the next edition in March 2026. There is interest to host," he said.
With FIFA only facilitating and not organizing the tournaments, Mammadov said they were inviting member associations with their sponsors on the ground to sponsor the Series.
"But if companies approach to sponsor the FIFA Series, FIFA will not close the door," he added.
FIFA Series: March 2024
Algeria
Teams: Algeria, Bolivia, Andorra, South Africa
Azerbaijan
Teams: Azerbaijan, Mongolia, Tanzania, Bulgaria
Sri Lanka
Teams: Sri Lanka, Papua New Guinea, Bhutan, Central African Republic
Saudi Arabia
Group A: Cabo Verde, Equatorial Guinea, Guyana, Cambodia
Group B: Guinea, Vanuatu, Bermuda, Brunei
