FC Bayern Munich and the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) have announced a new three-year agreement that deepens their collaboration with a sharpened focus on youth football development in Rwanda.
The renewed partnership, running until 2028, marks a significant shift from a commercial sponsorship to a strategic, development-driven alliance centered around the expansion of the FC Bayern Youth Academy in Kigali.
The initiative aims to strengthen Rwanda’s football ecosystem while promoting social impact through sports.
Jan-Christian Dreesen, CEO of FC Bayern Munich, described the move as a natural progression of a relationship that has already delivered meaningful results.
“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,” he said.
“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.”
RDB CEO Jean-Guy Afrika welcomed the new phase, citing the Academy’s success as a model for impactful sports partnerships.
“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,” he said.
“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 announcement follows a major milestone for the Kigali-based Academy: two young Rwandan talents, Ndayishimiye Barthazar and David Okoce, were recently selected to join the FC Bayern World Squad for 2025, placing Rwanda on the map as an emerging source of top-tier football talent.
The expanded Academy is expected to play a central role in nurturing local athletes, developing elite coaches, and reinforcing Rwanda’s growing reputation as a sporting nation with global ambitions.