FIFA announces a new competition starting in a few days, but fans probably have no idea

FIFA has announced a brand new international competition that will start in just a few days.

The FIFA Series will see international teams from different federations compete against each other during the next international break.

What makes the matches different is that the teams do not normally face each other.

The friendlies will also take place in a single host country with FIFA, in the hope that this will “enable greater international football interaction, making a concrete contribution to global football development”.

The event will be tested later this month, with 20 teams being placed into five different groups of four.

Two groups will play in Saudi Arabia, while one will consist of Algeria, Azerbaijan and Sri Lanka.

Three UEFA teams will be involved in the battle between Andorra and Algeria, Bolivia and South Africa.

While Azerbaijan will host Bulgaria, Mongolia and Tanzania.

Fans will be curious to see how the international minnows compete against each other.

It will also be interesting to see sides like Andorra play with better chances of winning.

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FIFA President Gianni Infantino said: “The FIFA Series is a very positive step forward for domestic football at global level.

“Our member associations have been telling us for some time that they want to test themselves against their colleagues from all over the world.

“And now they can do that within the current Men’s International Competition Calendar.

“More meaningful matches will enable much more valuable football interaction for players, teams and fans, and will make a concrete contribution to the development of the game.”

The first matches of the tournament start on March 21.

In the opening round, fans can watch South Africa versus Andorra, Guinea versus Vanuatu and Cape Verde versus Guyana.

Full line-up for the FIFA series

Here’s a look at the first set of groups for the FIFA Series

FIFA Series: Algeria

• Algeria (CAF)
• Andorra (UEFA)
• Bolivia (CONMEBOL)
• South Africa (CAF)

FIFA Series: Azerbaijan

• Azerbaijan (UEFA)
• Bulgaria (UEFA)
• Mongolia (AFC)
• Tanzania (CAF)

FIFA Series: Saudi Arabia A

• Cape Verde (CAF)
• Cambodia (AFC)
• Equatorial Guinea (CAF)
• Guyana (Concacaf)

FIFA Series: Saudi Arabia B

• Bermuda (Concacaf)
• Brunei Darussalam (AFC)
• Guinea (CAF)
• Vanuatu (OFC)

FIFA Series: Sri Lanka

• Bhutan (AFC)
• Central African Republic (CAF)
• Papua New Guinea (OFC)
• Sri Lanka (AFC)