During a visit to Paraguay as part of an official trip to South America, FIFA President Gianni Infantino inaugurated the Los Pynandi World Cup Stadium in Asunción.
The tenth FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup will take place at this brand‑new venue, beginning with four games on 21 November, including hosts Paraguay’s eagerly-awaited opener against Japan. The stadium has a capacity of 2,820 and is situated at the Parque Olímpico Paraguayo.
Among those invited to the opening ceremony were President of the Republic of Paraguay Mario Abdo Benítez, FIFA Vice-President and CONMEBOL President Alejandro Domínguez and Paraguayan Football Association President Robert Harrison, as well as other representatives of the Paraguayan authorities.
“I would like to wholeheartedly congratulate Paraguay, the Paraguayan FA and everyone who has worked on and for this magnificent stadium. In a short time, an extraordinary venue has been built and I hope it will be the stage for many exciting beach soccer matches. I am sure that the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, which will start in under two weeks’ time, will bring joy and excitement to the whole country, which is so proud to be hosting its first FIFA competition. It will be a fantastic tournament at a fantastic new stadium,” said Gianni Infantino.
Robert Harrison thanked everyone who had worked hard on and put so much effort into the project: “Today is a historic day for Paraguayan football. This stadium fills me with joy and I’m really looking forward to the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup kicking off on 21 November.
We thank FIFA for having believed in us to organise such a competition. President Infantino’s visit is a mark of our renewed commitment to promoting the development of football in our country,“ stated the Paraguayan FA President.
FIFA Vice-President and CONMEBOL President Alejandro Domínguez underlined that this new stadium will significantly spur the development of South American beach soccer.
“Together we have achieved the first FIFA World Cup in Paraguay’s history. It’s the result of a shared dream, with which we’ve managed to put Paraguay in the international spotlight of football. This FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup is the fourth World Cup entrusted by FIFA to a CONMEBOL country during our administration, an example of how to believe in big objectives,” said Domínguez.
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The FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Paraguay 2019™ will be contested in Asunción from 21 November to 1 December and promises to deliver thrilling, fast-paced action. The 16 teams taking part in the tournament notably include reigning world champions Brazil and previous winners Russia and Portugal, as well as hosts Paraguay.