The Mongolian Football Federation (MFF) combines creativity with FIFA assistance to grow football in challenging conditions
All-weather pitches and the impressive Air Dome at the MFF’s National Team Training Centre, funded by FIFA Forward, have helped make football a year-round pastime
“FIFA’s support through the Forward Programme is making a real difference to football development in Mongolia,” MFF President Anandbazar Tsogt-Ochir said
Saddled with long and harsh winters, fluctuating temperatures and the lowest population density of any FIFA member, the Mongolian Football Federation (MFF) has its work cut out to make the game more accessible to the historic nation’s 3.6 million inhabitants. Enter the Air Dome. Completed in spring 2023 and funded by the FIFA Forward Programme, the massive 114m x 82m x 29m inflatable covering over the artificial pitch at the MFF’s National Team Training Centre has altered Mongolia’s football landscape in more ways than one.
“FIFA’s support through the Forward Programme is making a real difference to football development in Mongolia,” MFF President Anandbazar Tsogt-Ochir said recently. “One of the best examples is the Air Dome project. With temperatures reaching around -30°C and almost six months of difficult outdoor conditions, the Air Dome allows children and young players to train throughout the year. “We are developing a football academy campus there, with a school and our U-16 team training five days a week to prepare the next generation of national team players. We hope to develop Air Domes in five more major cities and more than 21 mini-pitches across the 21 provinces nationwide.”
Football may be the world’s game but in many corners of the globe, it needs a boost in order to establish momentum. Infrastructure and access can be difficult to establish from scratch. That’s where FIFA Forward and FIFA’s myriad programmes, like FIFA Arena, FIFA Football for Schools and the FIFA Talent Development Scheme, come in. Since joining FIFA in 1998, the MFF is one of many Member Associations (MAs) that has made significant progress after embracing the full range of FIFA’s offerings and initiatives.
On its own, FIFA Forward has resulted in the distribution of nearly USD 5.1 billion to MAs and regional associations around the world over the past decade. Each individual MA received up to USD 8 million each during FIFA Forward phase 3.0 (2023-26), which represents a seven-fold increase from before FIFA President Gianni Infantino took office in 2016.
In addition to the Air Dome, the MFF has used FIFA Forward resources for additional enhancements and improvements at its National Team Training Centre in the capital, Ulaanbaatar (including floodlights and an innovative eco-friendly pitch renovation in 2022), an artificial pitch and grandstand in nearby Yarmag, the installation of a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system, and more. FIFA Football for Schools launched in Mongolia in April 2022, and the MFF is leveraging the FIFA Talent Development Scheme with its Elite Academy Project, which supports the training of 240 promising young players by 14 AFC A-level coaches. A FIFA Arena mini-pitch has been planned for the Bayanzürkh area of Ulaanbaatar, Tsogt-Ochir said.
On-field results will take time, but Tsogt-Ochir said shortly after taking office last year that he hopes to see the Mongolian men eventually crack the top 100 in the FIFA/Coca-Cola Men’s World Ranking. The Blue Wolves are currently placed 190th after a gradual climb over the past decade. Mongolia took part in the inaugural FIFA Series in 2024 and set a new standard with three victories during qualifying for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™.
Meanwhile, the women’s national team is just getting going on the competitive stage. They entered the qualifying competition for the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ for the first time during the 2023 cycle. What matters most to FIFA and the MFF is that the foundation is being established.
“Through the FIFA Football for Schools philosophy, MFF continues the Dream Goal nationwide competition, involving around 30,000 children from school championships through to the national championship,” Tsogt-Ochir said. “Some children even travel around 200km from another province to take part. We also hold the national Dream Goal competition at the New Yarmag Technical Centre, another facility developed with FIFA Forward support. “These projects show the real value of FIFA’s support: giving more children access to football and building the next generation of Mongolian football.”