Bermuda will play their first match in Saudi Arabia next month as part of a new initiative by Fifa.

The island’s national team will head to the Middle East to compete in the Fifa Series, a pilot project launched to provide international friendly matches between teams from different federations who do not normally get the chance to play against each other.

Bermuda will take part in Fifa Series: Saudi Arabia B alongside Brunei, Vanuatu and Guinea, who reached the quarter-finals of the African Cup of Nations this year.

The matches are scheduled to take place between March 21 and March 26 and coach Michael Findlay is pleased with the added opportunity for his players.

“This is an extremely exciting and beneficial opportunity for our senior men's national team to be invited to an event such as the inaugural Fifa Series at a time where we are striving to create the best possible environments for our players as we continue our growth as a team and specifically our preparation for June's 2026 World Cup Qualifying matches,” Findlay said.

“Our vision is to be consistently competitive within the Concacaf region at all levels and competitions. It’s international events like this that present the challenges, standards, and experiences that our players require to compete at the international level of play.”

The forthcoming edition of the Fifa Series will feature national teams from all six confederations and future instalments are planned during every March international match window of even years, with the full roll-out expected in 2026.

Fifa president Gianni Infantino believes the games will play an important part in the development of world football.

“The Fifa Series is a really positive step forward for national-team football at global level,” Infantino said.

“Our member associations have been telling us for a long time now of their desire to test themselves against their counterparts from all around the world, and now they can do so within the current men’s international match calendar. More meaningful matches will enable far more valuable footballing interaction for players, teams and fans, and will make a concrete contribution to the development of the game.”

Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 World Cup after being the only nation to submit a bid ahead of the deadline this year and the competition is the latest in a string of high-profile global sporting events being awarded to countries in the Middle East.

Allegations of sportswashing have been levelled against Saudi Arabia with many commentators accusing the country of using sports to divert international attention away from concerns over human rights abuses in the country.

Already this year, the country has held the Italian and Spanish Super Cup matches, while the world’s best drivers will descend on the country next week for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

The America’s Cup will also be held in Saudi Arabia in November as will a new elite tennis exhibition event with Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Daniil Medvedev and Holger Rune taking part in the Six Kings Slam.