FIFA President Gianni Infantino attended the XXIII Ordinary Congress of the Central American Football Union (UNCAF) in Miami, United States, where he spoke of the importance of the FIFA Forward programme in developing football. Mr Infantino also told UNCAF’s seven FIFA Member Associations that the FIFA World Cup 26™ would be a unique opportunity for them with up to eight slots available for Concacaf, compared to a maximum of four at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™.

"We're all very happy because we can work together, FIFA, Concacaf, UNCAF for the development of football," the FIFA President said. “The (FIFA) Forward programme is fundamental for developing football all over the world and also in the countries that are crazy about football like the countries of UNCAF. More than that, of course, in recent years we've focused on football, not just on development, but also on the competitions." He added: "I think that in the last couple of years, all of us with UNCAF, Concacaf and FIFA, have taken many important steps forward, we have worked hard, put our houses in order which was the pivotal previous step to organise today's football."

During the 2023-2026 cycle, each FIFA Member Association will receive up to USD 8 million in funding from the FIFA Forward programme which can be used to build infrastructure, organise competitions or help with general expenses. Regional federations such as UNCAF receive USD 5 million, while confederations, in this case Concacaf, receive USD 60 million. UNCAF has used funding from the FIFA Forward programme to organise regional youth and women's competitions involving clubs and national teams from the seven countries. Funds from the FIFA Forward programme have also been used for a variety of projects in the individual FIFA Member Associations such as a multipurpose building for women's national teams and beach soccer changing rooms in Costa Rica, a new national training centre in Panama, expansion of the national training centre in Honduras, U-11, U-12 and U-14 youth tournaments in Guatemala and refurbishment of the national stadium in Nicaragua.

The UNCAF President Pedro Chaluja thanked FIFA and Gianni Infantino. "I would like to mention the great support that we've received from FIFA through the (FIFA) Forward programme. It's been very effective. The funds have been managed very, very well. And also to Concacaf for all the support they give us in all of our competitions and development courses," he said. Mr Chaluja added that the UNCAF nations intended to make a bid to co-host the FIFA U-20 World Cup™ in 2029. Mr Infantino said that, in expanding youth competitions, FIFA wanted to give chances to FIFA Member Associations not only to participate but also host tournaments as well. “We know that the UNCAF national teams qualify and play well at youth level. So, I hope to not just play but also organise future (FIFA) World Cups. That has to be one of the goals because we have to get the whole world involved,” he said. FIFA is committed to growing football worldwide and the FIFA President said that the 48-team FIFA World Cup 26, to be co-hosted in Canada, Mexico and the United States, was an example of how it was providing opportunities for more teams to perform on a global stage. “You all have .... a unique chance to not just qualify, play and participate but also to make a great impact on football in these countries in Central America,” he said.