A second FIFA Arena mini-pitch has been opened in Peru, this time in the small coastal community of Puerto Pizarro near the northern town of Tumbes. The mini-pitch is on a site previously used by children for football but now gives them a safe space to play.

Puerto Pizarro has a population of around 4,500 people and approximately 1,650 of those are under the age of 18. The community is closely linked to artisanal fishing and local tourism and is an important access point to the Tumbes Mangroves Natural Sanctuary, the only protected mangrove ecosystem in Peru.

“From San Luis in Lima (where the first mini-pitch was recently opened), to Puerto Pizarro in Tumbes, FIFA Arena showcases how a single initiative can be tailored to very different communities and circumstances,” explained Jair Bertoni, FIFA Director Member Associations Americas.

“This is precisely the model we intend to continue promoting across the Americas: projects developed in close collaboration with our (FIFA) Member Associations and local authorities, which provide the necessary infrastructure and conditions to create meaningful opportunities for children – both boys and girls – and communities through football.”

After the opening ceremony, 30 boys and girls from the local area went onto the pitch to receive football boots from FIFA’s Boots for All Programme which has also been launched in Peru.

The President of the Peruvian Football Association (FPF) Agustín Lozano attended the event along with local authorities and FIFA representatives from the FIFA Regional Office in Asunción, Paraguay. Peru’s first FIFA Arena mini-pitch was opened on Tuesday 18 August 2026 in the San Luis district of Lima.

“We are delighted to inaugurate this FIFA Arena pitch in Puerto Pizarro, Tumbes, alongside FIFA and local authorities. I encourage parents to support their children as they take part in our sport, and I would also like to remind them of the vital importance of their children’s nutrition and education,” the FPF President said.

The FIFA Arena initiativeaims to build at least 1,000 mini-pitches worldwide by 2031 to provide safe, sustainable and accessible football infrastructure, particularly in areas where communities have limited access to quality sports facilities.

FIFA Boots for All, launched as a pilot project in March 2026, is designed to provide football boots to disadvantaged children worldwide. In its initial phase, FIFA has acquired 20,000 pairs of FIFA-branded boots in nine different sizes, suitable for training, matches and recreational play.

“The FIFA Arena largely embodies the essence of our organisation. Football is the sport of the world, and, for this reason, everyone should be able to access it,” said FIFA President Gianni Infantino in a video message played during the opening ceremony. “Our young people need safe and sustainable spaces to meet and play. They need basic equipment and facilities to get started, and then a place where they can experience the emotion and enjoyment of kicking a ball around with friends.

“That's how communities are built. That's how dreams become reality. And that's how FIFA contributes to the growth of the beautiful game.”