神马午夜福利网

Children playing football (soccer). Timor L’este
Sports promote values, and football, being the world's most popular sport, has immense potential to promote peace, achieve Sustainable Development Goals, and uphold universal values.
Photo:Alex Baluyut / World Bank

The Transformative Power of Football

Sports have been instrumental in promoting peace globally and have played a pivotal role in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Football, as a prominent global sport, holds a unique position.

Beyond mere recreation, it is a universal language spoken by people of all ages, transcending national, cultural, and socio-economic boundaries. This shared passion fosters a sense of community and national pride.

Football's broad appeal and accessibility make it a potent tool for promoting health and well-being. It has also served as a vital platform for advancing gender equality and empowering women and girls, both on and off the field.

Moreover, football serves as a catalyst for social inclusion, fostering unity and breaking down barriers between diverse communities. It provides a space where individuals from various backgrounds converge to promote mutual understanding, tolerance, respect, and solidarity.

2026 Events

One World, One Game, One Goal: Football as a Catalyst for Youth Mental Health and Well-Being

Date: 17 July 2026, 10:00 – 18:00 (EDT)
Location: United Nations Headquarters, New York

Taking place just ahead of the 2026 Men's World Cup Final, this global celebration with the UN Member States Friends of Football brings together young leaders, changemakers, policymakers, UN entities, governments, civil society, private sector partners, athletes and advocates to celebrate football and sports as powerful drivers of youth mental health and well-being. More details

Participants in the General Assembly Hall try to catch a football thrown by the FIFA President. ? UN Photo/Mark Garten

Celebration of World Football Day 2026

Date: 19 May 2026
Location: United Nations Headquarters, New York

To celebrate World Football Day, the UN General Assembly hosted an energetic celebration on 19 May 2026. Featuring UN leaders and special guest FIFA President Gianni Infantino, the event highlighted football's power to unite cultures, empower youth, and advance global solidarity. The programme included powerful speeches, video messages, and a lively mini-tournament on the North Lawn—turning diplomacy into action for peace, inclusion, and the 2030 Agenda.

Background

2024 marks the 100th anniversary of the first international football tournament in history with the representation of all regions, which took place on May 25, 1924, during the summer Olympic games held in Paris.

In recognition of this milestone, on May 7, 2024, the General Assembly passed Resolution proclaiming May 25 as World Football Day.

The resolution acknowledges "the global reach of football and its impact in various spheres, including commerce, peace and diplomacy, and recognizing that football creates a space for cooperation."

It also recognizes "the fundamental role" of Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), and the important role of regional and national soccer federations, as well as relevant associations, in promoting the game of football.

The resolution encourages all countries to support football and other sports as a tool to promote peace, development and the empowerment of women and girls. And it also encourages countries to adopt policies and programs to promote football and other sports and physical activities.

It invites all member states, organizations of the UN system, international organizations, academia, civil society and the private sector to observe World Football Day in line with national priorities "and to disseminate the advantages of football for all, including through educational and public awareness-raising activities."

Watch

They once stood as children whose lives were shaped by displacement. Today, they stand together at the highest level of the game. UNHCR’s Gamechanging Team brings eleven players together ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup as a symbolic team embodying hope, courage, resilience and the power of what is possible when people uprooted and displaced by war and persecution are met with safety, opportunity and welcome.

More stories about football’s power to inspire

Key Documents

  • General Assembly Resolution on establishing the World Day ()
  • General Assembly Resolution on Sport as an enabler of sustainable development ()
  • General Assembly Resolution on Building a peaceful and better world through sport and the Olympic ideal ()
  • General Assembly Resolution on Sport as an enabler of sustainable development ()
  • General Assembly Resolution on Sport as a means to promote education, health, development and peace ()
  • (2022)
  • (2020)
  • (2018)

Related Websites

Related Observances

More observances

Sport possesses a unique capacity to unite people, transcending identity backgrounds, ethnicities, and abilities. Throughout history, it has made significant contributions to the well-being of individuals, communities, and peace. Recognizing this, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development highlights the increasing impact of objectives.

Football for the Goals

Football for the Goals? (FFTG) is a United Nations membership-based 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 for football organizations 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 grassroots clubs and NGOs to professional leagues and international confederations -? to build on existing sustainability approaches and to implement SDG-related strategies that lead to behavioural change. Members also use their visibility and outreach power to raise the profile of the SDGs through amplification and advocacy.

?

illustration of people with clock, calendar, to-do list and decorations

International days and weeks are occasions to educate the public on issues of concern, to mobilize political will and resources to address global problems, and to celebrate and reinforce achievements of humanity. The existence of international days predates the establishment of the United Nations, but the UN has embraced them as a powerful advocacy tool. We also mark other UN observances.