Building a global pathway for Armenia’s young female footballers

Through the agreement, promising young Armenian players who live overseas, particularly those based in the United States, are being identified and invited to training camps, with the potential to progress to the Armenian under-17, under-19 and senior women's national teams.

Connecting Armenia with US-based talent

For young players living abroad, the programme offers an opportunity to connect with their heritage while simultaneously developing their football skills.

PAYFA was founded in Southern California and works to identify talented Armenian youth players and introduce them to the FFA, helping create new links between the federation and Armenian communities overseas.

The programme has already proved successful across several age groups, with camps and player nominations involving girls born in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012.

Building the women's game

The FFA-PAYFA partnership forms part of Armenia's wider efforts to develop women's football and create more opportunities for girls.

With UEFA support, Armenia launched its first women's football strategy in 2021, aiming to inspire more women and girls to play and improve the standard of the game.

Armenia's women's football strategy was set up in 2021UEFA

This diaspora initiative provides a practical example of the strategy’s longer-term ambitions, offering young Armenian players outside the country a potential route towards national-team football.

Developing players and coaches

The progression of women's football in Armenia is complemented by continued investment in coach education.

The recent third module of the UEFA/FFA A Licence coaching course included a module led by the experienced Ivi Casagrande, a UEFA technical instructor, who travelled to Armenia to lead the in-person sessions, supporting the development of coaches and the wider technical environment around the women's game.

Together, the player pathway and coach education initiatives demonstrate the FFA's approach to sustainable development in the women's game – strengthening both the talent coming through and the people supporting it.