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Make football work for society
Impact society through the power of football
In 2020, FIFA implemented internal restructures and engaged in a range of joint projects with UN agencies as well as international and intergovernmental organisations to address global challenges. The education and protection of children, the integrity of football and the safety and security of all those that participate in the game are key components of this goal. FIFA’s dialogue and collaboration with several external partners have already shown evidence of football’s significant ability to bring about change.
Educate children through Football for Schools
The Football for Schools Programme, which was was launched in 2019 with pilot projects in Puerto Rico and Lebanon, focuses on initiatives to educate girls and boys about important life skills and positive values. Practical opportunities for kids to learn valuable lessons through football came with the launch of a project with the Myanmar Football Federation, supported by the FIFA Foundation.
Collaborating with FIFA member associations, different UN agencies and 101 NGOs, the FIFA Foundation provided assistance via the Recovery Programme which supports the reconstruction of football infrastructure after natural disasters and the Community Actions Programme which gives support to refugee communities and delivers football sessions and health checks to children who are living in under-privileged communities.
The FIFA Foundation also announced a new collaboration agreement with UPL Ltd. on sustainable development in agriculture and education in society through football.
Inspire current and future generations with the example of FIFA Legends
In partnership with the FIFA Foundation, FIFA has continued to involve the FIFA Legends in events and activities to convey positive messages to the football community as a whole and the younger generations in particular. A hefty 81 active players and 75 new Legends participated in this important programme in 2020. Since its creation in 2016, the FIFA Legends Programme has engaged more than 750 players, who have made over 5,000 appearances through FIFA events and digital campaigns.
The FIFA Foundation Award was launched at The Best FIFA Football Awards to honour those in football who make extraordinary contributions to their communities.
Deliver solutions to protect the environment and the climate
Minimum sustainable infrastructure standards were created and will be made mandatory for any new FIFA Forward infrastructure projects to be presented in 2021.
Meanwhile, FIFA, the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy and the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 LLC received special recognition from the Qatar Green Building Council for jointly publishing the Sustainability Strategy for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and their ongoing actions to mitigate any negative impacts on the environment.
Other initiatives related to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, namely the GHG Accounting report, Ras Abu Aboud study were concluded and the waste-avoidance focus group launched, paving the way for emission reduction, sustainability and waste management policies to be finalised for the tournament. These activities were further supported by dozens of capacity-building seminars and workshops on sustainability for various audiences working on the tournament.
Foster dialogue, collaboration and partnerships with international organisations and public authorities
FIFA launched a number of awareness campaigns on digital and broadcast channels globally in close collaboration with the United Nations (UN), World Health Organization (WHO), African Union, Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the European Commission and the European Parliament. The campaigns, supported by FIFA Legends, current star footballers, FIFA member associations and media rights licensees addressed several prominent health topics during the coronavirus.
Working closely with agencies, international organisations and institutions, FIFA donated USD 10 million to the WHO’s COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund, participated in various Council of Europe initiatives and signed a memorandum of understanding with the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to address a range of key social and football topics.