Paraguay secured their place in football history as they were crowned the first-ever champions of the FIFA Youth Series, following a 3-0 victory over New Zealand in the final match of the inaugural tournament.

Taking place during World Football Week, and under this year’s theme of ‘Together, We Are Stronger’, six international sides were invited to participate in the pilot under-16 youth tournament, hosted at FIFA’s headquarters in Zurich from 18 to 22 May.

Young players in teams from Guatemala, Malaysia, New Zealand, Paraguay, Switzerland and Tunisia soaked up an unforgettable experience. The tournament provided the opportunity to play against different youth national teams from around the world, as well as the chance to take part in a range of educational workshops and share their love for football with peers from around the world.

For some, it was their first visit overseas. “This is massive. For a country like ours, way down in the South Pacific, we don’t get many opportunities like this, especially for this age group,” said Martin Bullock, New Zealand head coach. “We’ve got one lad who had never left the North Island of New Zealand before; now he’s ended up in Switzerland. It’s been a great learning experience in so many ways.”

Educational sessions throughout the tournament covered inclusion and anti-discrimination, concussion awareness, a look back through football history and a workshop on safeguarding. The teams were also welcomed to the FIFA Museum. Former Colombia defender, Iván Córdoba, also spoke in his capacity as a Players’ Voice Panel member, sharing experiences of discrimination and encouraging his young audience to be an ally for those who may be discriminated against.

"We are proud to have organised the first edition of the FIFA Youth Series which is a unique and truly global tournament that goes beyond the game itself. By uniting under-16 teams from every Confederation at the Home of FIFA, we are uniting the world, and it's part of our strategic vision for the global game," said Elkhan Mammadov, FIFA Chief Member Association Officer said.

“It has been a marvellous event and we’re thankful to FIFA for having organised it, and to have been a part of it. The level on the pitch has been pretty high but the boys are getting a very broad experience here,” added Paraguay head coach, Wilfrido Bazán.

“We have to prepare young people for their lives ahead. The classes we had were very important and it shows how football is a great way of learning respect for others.”

A flagship event during World Football Week, the FIFA Youth Series underlined the week’s goals to bring people together to enjoy football.

World Football Week, beginning on 21 May, the day on which FIFA was founded in 1904, was declared by FIFA President Gianni Infantino as an extension to UN World Football Day, which is on 25 May. This year’s theme was ‘Together, We Are Stronger’, which the tournament embodied, through the shared opportunity to develop young talents from around the world.