SALE, Morocco (AP) — FIFA staff have set a new Guinness World Record by bringing together players from the greatest number of nationalities ever to share the same field.
The match on Wednesday, organized in Morocco, featured 69 FIFA employees from as many countries, each taking the field and playing for at least 10 minutes.
Players said the game — which included a carousel of substitutions — captured the spirit of soccer, that it belongs to everyone everywhere. FIFA has more than 200 countries as members and distributes funds to federations throughout the world.
“At the heart of it is the fact that we recognized we could do something that celebrates our diversity,” said Solomon Mudege, a Zimbabwe native who heads FIFA’s Development Programs for Africa.
Men and women rotated steadily on and off the field, ensuring the game met the criteria for inclusion. Passports from across the globe lined the referee table, underscoring the organizers’ message that the world’s most popular sport knows no borders.
The record beats the previous mark set in 2019 by the UK-based group Equal Playing Field.
The match took place in Rabat, where FIFA is establishing a new regional hub ahead of the 2030 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco. Morocco has already built or renovated several stadiums and is expanding its transportation networks, hotels and other infrastructure as it gears up for the tournament.
“Football involves the entire world,” said Fatou Camara, a Mali native working as development manager in FIFA’s Africa office.
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