The German football giants and reigning Bundesliga champions, FC Bayern Munich, have extended their partnership with the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) until 2028, unveiling a renewed focus on grassroots football through the club’s youth academy in Kigali.
The updated agreement represents a strategic pivot — moving away from a primarily commercial arrangement towards a long-term development model centred on talent identification, coaching excellence, and infrastructure growth.
Under the new terms, the FC Bayern Youth Academy in Rwanda will be expanded into a hub for both athletic and personal development. The initiative will provide advanced training programs, coaching education, sports science integration, and upgraded facilities, while also supporting community-based projects to empower young people.
Jan-Christian Dreesen, CEO of FC Bayern, highlighted the strategic refocus and said, “In constructive talks about our future direction, we agreed that a very special part of our relationship with RDB was the developmental nature of our work in Kigali through the FC Bayern Academy. We are therefore transforming our commercial partnership into a talent programme and expanding the FC Bayern Academy in Kigali together with the RDB as both a football and social initiative. This remains perfectly aligned to our strategic objective of developing playing talent in Africa.”
Jean-Guy Afrika, CEO of RDB, added, “The success of the FC Bayern Academy in Kigali is a great example of what strategic sports partnerships can achieve. As we enter a new phase, we are refocusing our resources to accelerate sports development, with emphasis on talent identification, coaching excellence, and sports infrastructure. This continued partnership with FC Bayern helps ensure that talent development remains anchored in our broader vision to position Rwanda as a global hub for tourism, investment, and high-performance sport.”
The decision follows past criticism of Rwanda’s “Visit Rwanda” branding campaigns, which some fans and human rights groups opposed due to concerns over the country’s political record. By shifting the partnership’s focus to youth development, FC Bayern is moving towards a socially driven, less politically contentious model.
Since its establishment in 2018, the Academy has trained hundreds of young players, with selected talents earning opportunities to train in Munich. Most recently, Ndayishimiye Barthazar and David Okoce were chosen for the prestigious 2025 FC Bayern World Squad U19 programme — a milestone for Rwanda’s emerging football scene.
On the pitch, FC Bayern have reasserted their dominance, reclaiming the Bundesliga title in 2024-25 after a rare third-place finish the previous season. They also reached the quarter-finals of both the UEFA Champions League and the FIFA Club World Cup.
Harry Kane has been the standout performer, scoring 41 goals across all competitions, while new signing Luis Díaz from Liverpool FC adds further attacking firepower. The club also welcomed Emirates and Betano as commercial partners this season.
With the renewed agreement, FC Bayern and the RDB are positioning football as a driver of education, opportunity, and cultural exchange. If successful, the model could influence how elite clubs approach international partnerships — prioritising lasting community impact over short-term branding.
