CARDIF

31 March 2023 | FIFA President Infantino inaugurates CARDIF, the Centro de Alto Rendimiento de las divisiones formativas in Paraguay.

Gianni Infantino accompanied CONMEBOL president Alejandro Domínguez and Paraguayan Football Federation (APF) president Robert Harrison on a visit to CARDIF, which is located on the outskirts of Asunción and was built with the support of FIFA’s Forward Development Programme.

 

Here are the figures of this huge project

  • USD 4 million (financed by FIFA Forward contributions (3 million) and APF’s own funds (1 million), with significant support from the Paraguayan Olympic Committee and the National Sports Secretariat).
  • 14 hectares on which the entire complex extends
  • 11 Limonta Sport artificial turf fields (three of which have already been built)
  • 9,000 square metres for a small sports area
  • 2,000 players per day in the youth sector
  • Changing rooms and sports halls

 

This large project is followed by SportCesped, Limonta Sport’s historical partner, which has already built three artificial turf fields, of course by Limonta Sport, two of which have already obtained FIFA certification.

 

But let’s go further.

The CARDIF is an initiative of the Paraguayan Football Federation, with the support of FIFA and CONMEBOL, which will initially accommodate talented players from the under-14 to under-19 age groups of all clubs in the División de Honor.

The CARDIF centre will train the players like never before, in several aspects: technical, tactical, physical, medical, nutritional and psychological, with specific, differentiated and innovative training sessions. All with the permanent support of professionals appointed by the APF.

Describing the project as ‘magnificent’, the FIFA President congratulated the APF for adopting a long-term vision to raise the level of training and improve the national team.

“It is very easy to find quick solutions for the national team based on a few interviews and public proclamations,” he said. “It is much more difficult to launch a project like this: a project with a vision, a project with a future, a project that will cover the last space that has not been covered so far in Paraguay. It is also something important for the clubs, for everyday life, because football is every day, and every day you can improve’.

He added that the APF can count on the full and unconditional support of FIFA.

‘We are embarking on one of the most ambitious projects of the APF,’ Harrison said. “We are proud to be able to support the clubs in the top league. I believe we have to work together to build the future.