Dikhyaa Mohanty 
During India vs. Qatar at Round 2 of the FIFA World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 joint qualification campaign in Kalinga Stadium, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Chief of Global Football Development at FIFA, Arsene Wenger, officially opened the AIFF-FIFA Talent Academy in front of a packed house.
This is a significant effort to advance Indian football development. The Government of Odisha is collaborating with AIFF and FIFA to launch this academy. Fifty gifted football players, including fifteen from Odisha, in the under-14 age group will be chosen to attend the academy from across the nation. Together with a number of coaches and employees from the AIFF and the Government of Odisha, the Academy will be led by a coach appointed by FIFA.
“In India, football is a popular game, especially among the younger generation,” stated the Chief Minister.Football is a very talented sport in India, and our team has the potential to do very well in the future with the right coaching infrastructure. I’m glad we can collaborate to establish these academies with FIFA and AIFF. To promote football in India, Odisha will fund football projects and closely collaborate with the AIFF.
