FIFA’s Post

3 incredible feel-good stories. "South Africa's preparations were arguably even more chaotic, when a similar dispute over pay and a range of other issues led to their entire first-choice squad being banned from taking part in a tune-up game against Botswana, just over two weeks before the start of the tournament. A scratch team was hastily cobbled together, which included a 13-year-old, to fulfil the fixture while the players that won last year's Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco had to watch on, unsure about what was going to happen next. In the event, the dispute was settled a few days after that fiasco, but only after what was described as a "humble donation" was made from the Motsepe Foundation, an organisation that helps vulnerable groups across Africa. The foundation's CEO, Precious Moloi-Motsepe, said they felt "duty-bound" to help after being approached, although no credit should be awarded to a national federation that essentially has to guilt trip a charity in order to pay their players. Nobody was shocked when they lost to Sweden in their first World Cup outing, but they followed a 2-2 draw with Argentina with that extraordinary late win against Italy, inspired by the brilliant former African Player of the Year Thembi Kgatlana. ... The hope is that these three national federations, all of whom have failed to one extent or another in their purpose (which is to provide support to their players and coaching staff), learn from this. You hope that they don't use twisted logic to justify themselves, deciding that these results prove players didn't need money for planning and organising or bonuses, or even spin things to suggest that the disputes provided a weird form of motivation for the teams. Make no mistake: Nigeria, South Africa and Jamaica are through to the last 16 of the World Cup in spite of their federations — not because of them. These have been collective triumphs of skill, togetherness, coaching, human spirit and the will to overcome adversity. The players and staff should be applauded as loudly as those above them should be derided." https://lnkd.in/dCB_b3Pr

Last night I had the pleasure of attending the launch of the British Future ‘Shared Goals; the power of football to connect diverse communities’ report in Parliament to represent the network of 72 EFL Club Community Organisations (CCOs). The report evidences what many of us know already – that football has a unique power to bring us together. The report highlights that as our nation’s favourite spectator sport, football is one of the rare cultural institutions able to reach all parts of our society.  As a point of common ground across our differences, few other pastimes can connect us and spark conversations like ‘the beautiful game’. The report also outlines how football clubs are  vital institutions within the communities in which they are based. Providing shared spaces for local residents to meet and mix, they occupy an important role in the social infrastructure of our towns and cities. As sources of local civic pride, football clubs are also often viewed as being among the defining symbols of an area’s local heritage, capable of building powerful narratives about local identity. Combined, this marks football clubs out as having a distinct potential to help bridge many of our divides. Where clubs are able to welcome residents from diverse communities, a shared love of the local team can help connect fans across different backgrounds, creating moments of social contact. This report explores how football clubs, league bodies and policymakers can harness this potential to reach across and foster connection in communities. At the event Dominik Stingas Paczko and I were able to talk about the unique value that Club Community Organisations (the charitable arm of football clubs) add, offering solutions to wider societal challenges. As trusted organisations in towns and cities, football clubs and their CCOs offer an already successful vehicle for policymakers to address key challenges in communities.  You can read the report here:- https://lnkd.in/ezzPksQA It makes several key recommendations including that Levelling Up funds should be offered to football clubs to encourage campaigns and community-building activities that strengthen shared civic pride. David McArdle at the EFL helped provide advice and insight into the report. Huge congratulations to Huddersfield Town FC and Brentford FC who worked with British Future  to consult fans and local residents to design a campaign aimed at bringing local people from different ethnic, faith and social backgrounds together around a shared sense of pride in their team and their area. #BritishFuture #thepoweroffootball #football #community #EFL #inclusion EFL Trust EFL (English Football League)

⚽️ Football has a unique power to bring people together, promote understanding, and foster peace among communities. By using the universal language of football, you can unite people from different backgrounds, cultures, and beliefs towards a common goal of peace. Here are a few potential ways the Football for Peace Movement can have a positive impact: 1. Bridging Divides: Football can break down barriers and help bridge social, cultural, and religious divides. By organizing inclusive and diverse teams, you can create opportunities for interaction, understanding, and friendship among individuals who may have had limited contact before. 2. Promoting Dialogue: Football can provide a platform for open discussion and dialogue between communities that have experienced conflict or tension. Organizing friendly matches or tournaments can create spaces for communication, shared experiences, and building relationships based on mutual respect and understanding. 3. Teaching Peaceful Values: Football can be used as a tool to teach important values such as teamwork, fair play, respect, and cooperation. Through training sessions, workshops, and mentorship programs, you can instill these values in young players, promoting peaceful and respectful interactions both on and off the field. 4. Empowering Youth: Engaging youth in the Football for Peace Movement can empower them to become leaders and ambassadors for peace in their communities. By providing opportunities for leadership, coaching, and organizing events, you can nurture their skills, instill a sense of responsibility, and inspire them to make a positive difference. 5. Community Building: Football events and tournaments can bring communities together, fostering a sense of belonging and unity. Through fan engagement, community outreach programs, and inclusive events, you can create an environment that celebrates diversity, strengthens social ties, and promotes peaceful coexistence. Remember, the key to success is collaboration and inclusivity. Engaging with local communities, partnering with schools, NGOs, and local authorities can help amplify the impact of your movement. By leveraging the passion and excitement of football, the Football for Peace Movement has the potential to inspire positive change and contribute to a more peaceful and harmonious world. FIFA For Donations please Send Gcash 09770390098 Ludwig Fuentebella Football for Peace Movement Inc . • President Public Relations & Media • Alvin Carranza Our Goal is Peace . Our Way is Football . This is Football for Peace !⚽️✌️❤️🌿🌱🌳🌈🚣♀️🏝️ #lovethephilippines

Member's Monday - Mission 89 👋 Mission 89 is a research, education, and advocacy organisation. Mission 89 works to combat human trafficking in sports through prevention initiatives. Mission 89 researches the trafficking of young athletes, raises visibility, interest, and communication around the issue, empowers those most vulnerable to exploitation, drives regulations to ensure accountability and augments efforts by bringing together all stakeholders to tackle the issue. Recent projects have included the FIFA World Cup in Qatar 2022™, where Mission 89, in collaboration with the Kenyan NGO A-STEP Foundation, delivered a Sports Community Initiative aimed at engaging the local youth in a #Not in Our Game Mini World Cup Tournament in Kakamega, Kenya. This raised awareness of the risks faced by young people who dream of a professional career in sports but face vulnerabilities such as abuse, exploitation, and trafficking. Also, in September 2022, Mission 89, with the Permanent Missions of the Gabonese Republic, Monaco, and Qatar, held a high-level event, "TIME TO STAND AGAINST CHILD TRAFFICKING IN SPORT." during the United Nations General Assembly 77th Session (UNGA). The High Panel Session's purpose was to share knowledge, information, and research about the problem of child trafficking and its effects on youth, sports, and the community. Check out Mission 89 to find out more about their impactful work. #youngpeopleawareness #moderndayslaveryisreal #theantislaverycollective

Overcoming the Odds:Despite these challenges, African footballers continue to defy the odds, showcasing resilience, determination, and raw talent. To address the systemic barriers they face, concerted efforts are needed at various levels:1. Investment in Infrastructure:Governments, football federations, and private organizations must invest in the development of football infrastructure, including training facilities, pitches, and academies. By providing players with access to quality facilities, the foundation for long-term success can be established.2. Provision of Equipment and Gear:Initiatives aimed at providing football equipment and gear to aspiring players are crucial for leveling the playing field. Donations, sponsorships, and partnerships with sporting goods manufacturers can help ensure that players have access to the tools they need to thrive.3. Expansion of Coaching and Development Programs:The establishment of grassroots coaching and development programs is essential for nurturing young talent and providing players with the necessary skills and guidance to succeed. Training workshops, coaching clinics, and talent identification initiatives can help unlock the full potential of African footballers.4. Scholarships and Financial Support:To alleviate the financial burden on aspiring players and their families, scholarships, grants, and financial assistance programs should be made available. By removing financial barriers, more talented individuals can pursue their dreams of becoming professional footballers.Conclusion:The lack of facilities, equipment, and materials presents significant obstacles for African footballers striving to reach the pinnacle of their sport. However, with concerted efforts from governments, football associations, philanthropic organizations, and the global football community, these challenges can be overcome. By investing in infrastructure, providing access to equipment and coaching, and offering financial support, the pathway to professionalism can be made more accessible for aspiring African players. Ultimately, by addressing these systemic issues, African football can unleash its full potential and continue to produce world-class talent for generations to come.

🤲 SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY Inequality is a long-lasting problem in today’s global society. As part of our SDG post series, we’ll be looking at UEFA For Children and their work to tackle inequality in the lead up to Euro 2024 with their Football for Unity Project 2.0. Following on from the success of Football for Unity 1.0 (first initiated during Euro 2020), the 2-year project aims to change the way grassroots and national football associations work with refugees and migrants from outside of Europe, ensuring social inclusion and equal opportunities. With over €80,000 of funding, the project involves 190 coaches and youth workers, aiming to work with and engage 2900 young migrants through both integration initiatives and informal education programs. Some of these include Switch the Pitch: an online platform, created as part of Euro 2024, which provides both online and in person workshops to promote inclusive coaching to combat discrimination and xenophobia. Training sessions have also been given to fan zone volunteers and group leaders, to increase awareness of diversity and give them the tools to combat discrimination and promote collaboration in fan communities across Europe. The success of this project has led to 14 project partners across 11 European countries, ensuring that the collaboration of cultures can provide a long-term sustainable solution to aiding refugees and migrants and reducing inequality both within nations and across borders. https://lnkd.in/ekY-vikR #sustainability #powerofsport #bettertogether #iris

Pay close attention. Get curious. World Cup Soccer. Women. Spain. The kiss. The denial. The uproar. World Cup Soccer. Women. Jamaica aka Reggae Girlz. The gofundme. The promise of payments from their federation. The silence. World Cup Soccer. Women. FIFA men’s grass. FIFA women’s turf. 2015. FIFA fairness. Women are impacted differently by patriarchy around the world and its affect can play through structures too. In patriarchy, protection is implied not promised (see FIFA above). Look closer. Get curious. Did you know the Reggae Girlz had to raise their own funds via Gofundme so they could have $500 of spending money in Australia? Did you know their federation promised to pay them money and didn’t? Get curious. No? Ask yourself why - how come you weren’t informed or didn’t know? Who didn’t tell you? What’s the story being told and who is telling it? Yes? Ask yourself which problem feels more present in the overall conversations we’re having - why is that happening? Patriarchy and racism are structures developed to fortify “power over.” When internalized, we become complicit, holding structures in place. We have to peel these structures apart in our awareness and work them separately to find our path through. “Like so many soccer teams around the world, the problems persist in the background and don't come to the fore until players feel empowered -- or feel like they have no other choice -- to speak out about their struggles.” — Sophie Lawson, ESPN article about the Jamaican and Canadian Women’s teams, June 28, 2023. Come learn how to separate these structures - in your awareness and inside your body. Join me for reimagining workshops. Links in the comments. #leadership #soccer #reimagine #futures

#FootballForTheGoals Is a United Nations initiative that provides a platform for the global football community to engage with and advocate for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It is an opportunity to build on football’s powerful and influential reach and to work together to become agents of change by aligning messaging, strategies and operations with the aspirations of the SDGs. This initiative inspires and guides the world of football – from confederations, national associations, leagues and clubs, to players’ associations, organized fan groups, as well as media and commercial partners – to build on existing sustainability approaches and to implement SDG strategies that lead to behavioural change. Members not only aspire to develop sustainable practices, but also act as champions of the SDGs during the Decade of Action (2020-2030). Members use their visibility and outreach power via tournaments, players, corporate brand exposure, media and fan communities to raise the profile of the SDGs through amplification and advocacy. Use the link herein to access more information about the FootballForTheGoals https://lnkd.in/dSTvWN3R #Football4Peace An initiative by the Global Youth Forum launched in 2015 with an aim of mobilizing grassroots team from all the 47 counties in Kenya to use football to promote Peace and Justice Strong Institutions Kenya empowering Young People with employability skills to enable them CREATE & SECURE employment, earn income and live better lives. Use this link for more information about for Footbtball4Peace https://lnkd.in/d4qFtB2f... #FootballForTheGoals vs #Football4Peace Friendly matches An initiative aiming to mobilize Football community across Kenya to Inspire Hope and Drive Actions for the Sustainable Development Goals leaving no one behind. The friendly matches will comprise of 10 players per team (Playing a 7 - Aside match, with 3 acting as a rolling substitutes) Players can sponsor themselves to the tournament or secure friends to sponsor them. To book your slot as a player for any of the teams, reach out to +254780109538 via WhatsApp or email FootballForTheGoals@global-youthforum.org #FootballForTheGoals #Football4Peace #GlobalGoals #ImagineWinning #Sports4SDGs #togetherwearestronger #Moulding4Work

As we strive to transform the football ecosystem in Zimbabwe and across the region_ knowledge, experience, idea and skills sharing is pertinent. Zimbabwe Football Forum is hosting the SOUTHERN AFRICA FOOTBALL BUSINESS FORUM running under the theme 'Enhancing Regional Cooperation & Structural Integration in Football'. The Forum brings together industry leaders from across the globe enthused to share their knowledge and experiences of their respective Leagues, Clubs and Jurisdictions they represent. It is a unique opportunity to broaden your network and meet current and former players, supporters, coaches, senior executives, leading experts, entrepreneurs, and investors in a familiar atmosphere to discuss partnerships, collaborations and investments. #InvestmentInnovationCreativity #ZFF2023 #SAFBF2023