How we map football facilities in Europe

Using the UEFA pitch mapping tool, which combines artificial intelligence with freely accessible maps and satellite images, all football pitches can be located across Europe. Developed by the UEFA Grow program teams and our Research and Analysis Center, this tool allows national associations to access football infrastructures and quickly and effectively assess installations, identify under-equipped geographical areas, and pinpoint where targeted investments would have the most impact.

The mapping tool combines existing data and artificial intelligence to differentiate between different types of facilities, including natural grass, synthetic turf, and concrete pitches, providing precise coordinates. A heatmap shows facility density, and overlaying population data offers detailed analysis at local, regional, and national levels. Together, this information helps national associations with long-term planning, making informed decisions about infrastructures, and comparing offerings across countries.

Strengthening Strategic Planning

The Albanian Football Federation (FSHF) utilized this tool to identify target areas for club and football development programs. Since adopting the pitch mapping tool, FSHF has increased its information on pitches by over 30%. According to Dritan Kadia from FSHF, the tool helps identify areas needing immediate infrastructure investments, aiding rational planning and management of competitions.

Integrating the tool into their national football management platform ensures that the entire football ecosystem benefits. Kadia added that it enhances planning and competition management, aiding clubs in designing plans and logistics teams in easily accessing registered pitches online.

Revealing Country Configuration

The Faroe Islands Football Association (FSF) found it useful to quickly discover small pitch locations, enhancing their understanding of basic football accessibility, especially for youth. Since using the mapping tool, they doubled the total identified pitches on the islands, offering insights on local access to football grounds.

Malta Football Association (MFA) deepened its knowledge of the country’s facilities, especially in rural areas. Almost a third more pitches were identified, including schools and university installations. Stephen Azzopardi from MFA noted that the tool is instrumental in finding information on non-urban pitches, enhancing utilization of existing grounds and identifying where additional pitches are needed.

National associations can request a tool demonstration from the UEFA Grow team via uefagrow@uefa.ch. Apart from European national associations, the tool is currently being globally tested by the UEFA Together team.