ExclusiveFIFA Forward: "We are a genuine agency for the development of world football" (Kenny Jean-Marie)

"At the end of this third cycle of the FIFA Forward programme (2023-2026), we will have invested $5bn in the development of football around the world. That's exceptional and enormous, but ultimately not very well known around the world. People prefer to think of FIFA in terms of a controversy over a referee's decision or the awarding of a World Cup, but we are a genuine agency for the redeployment and development of world football," said Kenny Jean-Marie, chief member associations officer at FIFA, to News Tank Football on 14/03/2024.

The Frenchman reflected on the implementation of the Forward programme since 2016, the year in which it was created in the wake of Gianni Infantino's election as FIFA president, which now involves 70 people within the body and has enabled $2.8bn to be paid back to member associations and confederations over the 2016-2022 period. "We have invested nearly $3bn over the first two cycles, and if we have to assess the results, the first word that comes to mind is transparency. We are not afraid to show what has been done and invested for each of FIFA's 211…