Football is a worldwide sport and belongs to people’s lives around the world. It is a universal game and enables peace, development, diplomacy and innovation. The great Spanish player Alexia Putella said football has no gender, it is for everyone.
At the inaugural commemoration of 2025 World Football Day, marking the centenary of the 1924 Olympic football tournament; Philemon Yang – President of the United Nations General assembly confirms football is a passion. It is more than just a sport. It brings communities together for generations with the ability as a unifier.
Football acts as a bridge to the divides of language, culture and geography. It fosters tolerance, mutual respect and friendship from small villages and townships to sprawling cities from muddy fields to state-of-the art stadiums. It binds people for participants and spectators alike, it elicits joy, pride and sense of belonging; and teaches respect, compassion, solidarity and forgiveness. It promotes inclusion and participation without discrimination and has the power of healing effect.
United Nations Office on Sport for Development and Peace reports that football programs have significantly reduced youth violence and boosted civic engagement. Football can break down barriers, foster social integration and encourage dialogue. Football respects human rights. As we all celebrate this asset to humanity, we must also ask how we can use it better for our goals to include the initiatives of engaging the clubs and federations to aim for a transformation of football as a global partner for sustainability. In addition, female participation since 2019 shows 24% increase. Let us hope this is just a start. Let us harness football’s full potential to not only score goals on the field but to advance the goals of our common humanity.
This year #WorldFootballDay2025 is initiated and facilitated by the permanent missions of Bahrain, Libya, Tajikistan and co-sponsored by 170 member states.
Happy #WorldFootballDay2025. Football unites the World.
Related link:
