Special exhibition “The Making of a Footballer: Photographs of Youthful Dreams” from May 2024

Football fans can look forward to a new special exhibition at the FIFA Museum from 2 May 2024.

“The Making of a Footballer: Photographs of Youthful Dreams” offers a unique and personal insight into the careers of former and active professional footballers and charts the dreams, challenges and triumphs that shaped their paths to success.

In collaboration with Arsène Wenger, FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development, and more than 20 players, the exhibition presents a collection of photographs documenting the development of aspiring youngsters into legendary players. Because behind the story of every successful footballer is a child who once had a big dream. A child who, despite many challenges, did not give up and continued to work hard to achieve the goal of becoming a professional footballer.

Among the players on show are two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup™ winner Alex Morgan, Javier Zanetti, Internazionale Milano's all-time leading appearance-maker, and Harry Kane, England’s current captain and record goalscorer.

The exhibition invites visitors to interact – through the lens of a camera – with the children who went on to become legends. By highlighting these players’ challenges and triumphs, the idea is to provide inspiration and encouragement for visitors to reflect on their own journey, both the dreams they had in their youth and the dreams they still have.

“This exhibition is a milestone for the FIFA Museum. It is the first time that we have worked with active football players and legends of the game to show their personal stories. They are the protagonists of football history and it fills me with great pride to dedicate an exhibition to them. We look forward to sharing their remarkable lives with the world,” said Marco Fazzone, the Managing Director of the FIFA Museum.

“The Making of a Footballer: Photographs of Youthful Dreams” also reveals the key pillars of a player’s development as outlined by one of the best mentors that football has ever seen, Arsène Wenger. The former Arsenal coach shares his insights and lays out a holistic model that compares a player’s growth to the building of a house.

The multifaceted approach presented to visitors emphasises the importance of technical, tactical, physical and psychological aspects in developing young footballers into well-rounded athletes.