Champions Innovate: Budapest 2026
Thursday, October 30, 2025
Article summary
Applications are now being welcomed for the next edition of UEFA’s innovation programme, Champions Innovate.
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Article body
The focus of Champions Innovate turns to the grassroots game for 2026, calling on innovators to create positive environments that help football thrive at every level.
In partnership with the Hungarian Football Federation ahead of the 2026 UEFA Champions League final in Budapest, the programme offers a unique chance to make a real and lasting difference.
Think your organisation could make a real impact on grassroots football?
We want to hear your ideas - apply to Champions Innovate via the link below!
What is Champions Innovate?
Champions Innovate is a programme created to address modern, meaningful, and relevant challenges identified by UEFA and the host national association of the UEFA Champions League final.
Launched by the UEFA Innovation Hub following an extensive stakeholder consultation, the proprietary initiative began two seasons ago, with a successful debut during the 2024 final in London and another successful edition in Munich in 2025.
"Like in football itself, it’s teamwork that drives meaningful progress. As we often say at UEFA: innovation doesn’t happen in isolation. It is powered by open minds, diverse perspectives and a common goal."
The programme’s goal is to promote collaboration between innovators, UEFA and the host national association to ensure a lasting and positive impact beyond the event.
And in 2026 the programme is run in partnership with the Hungarian Football Federation (MLSZ), who will host the 2026 UEFA Champions League final at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest.
Through this initiative, Hungary aims to be a launchpad for value creation that could also benefit other National Associations facing similar challenges.
Why?
- To leave a positive and lasting local legacy around the 2026 Champions League final
- To find the next champions of innovation to help develop football on and off the pitch
- To collaboratively find innovative solutions to address current and meaningful challenges
Grassroots football ➡️ the focus for 2026
In 2026, the UEFA Champions League final will take place in Budapest, and the Champions Innovate programme will shine a spotlight on the beating heart of the game: grassroots football.
Overarching challenge
For Champions Innovate, UEFA works with the host national association to set the main challenge for the edition, aligning it to their strategic priorities. For this season, the central challenge is:
"How do we create positive environments and role models that encourage positive behaviours in grassroots football?"
Grassroots football reaches millions of children, parents, volunteers, and coaches across Europe, yet ensuring these environments are consistently positive, inclusive, and supportive remains a challenge.
At the heart of this mission is putting football first: creating better environments for learning, development, and performance that allow every player to enjoy the game and reach their potential.
When grassroots football delivers positive environments, it creates positive experiences. This not only increases participation and keeps more players in the game for longer, but also ensures that both players and football itself, benefit in the long term.
This year, Champions Innovate calls on innovators to design solutions that strengthen role models and promote behaviours helping everyone in grassroots football feel valued, safe, and inspired.
Sub-challenges
1. Parents
Context
Parents are often the first and most important influence on young players. They play a crucial role in shaping not only their child’s enjoyment of football, but also their personal and sporting development. While many provide encouragement and support, negative behaviours - such as pressure, over-competitiveness, or lack of involvement - can discourage children from continuing in football.
Challenge Question 🧐
How can we engage parents, so they model positive behaviours, encourage participation, and create supportive football environments?
What we’re looking for 🛠
- Tools, platforms, education or solutions that help parents understand their impact on children’s experience of football.
- Ways to foster positive sideline behaviour and supportive communication.
- Solutions that strengthen the parent–coach–player relationship.
- Approaches to educating parents on the wider benefits of football and how they can play a supportive, active role.
2. Coaches
Context
Coaches are role models, mentors, and educators and not just instructors of the game. However, many grassroots coaches lack the skills or training needed to focus on children’s well-being and long-term enjoyment while also developing their football skills. While most coaches feel confident in the technical and tactical aspects, they often lack tools and approaches to address the social, emotional, and psychological areas of player development. With dropout rates in football rising sharply during the teenage years, coaches play a vital role in keeping young players engaged and motivated to stay in the game.
Challenge Question 🧐
How can we equip coaches to go beyond technical skills, model positive behaviours, and keep players engaged?
What we’re looking for 🛠
- Accessible training tools that help coaches integrate life skills, well-being, and positive behaviour into their sessions.
- Innovative ways to enhance coach education and support continuous learning.
- Approaches that help coaches create fun, safe, and engaging environments where players are motivated to keep playing and developing.
3. Workforce
Context
Grassroots football depends on a committed volunteer workforce, from coaches and referees to club leaders and organisers. Yet many associations struggle with declining numbers, burnout, and difficulties in recruiting new volunteers. Without this vital workforce, grassroots football cannot thrive. Supporting countries to develop a strong volunteer culture is essential to ensuring the long-term health and sustainability of the game.
Challenge Question 🧐
How can we attract, motivate, and retain volunteers so grassroots football stays strong and sustainable?
What we’re looking for 🛠
- New ways to recruit and welcome volunteers into grassroots roles.
- Incentive systems and recognition schemes that keep volunteers motivated.
- Digital or community-based solutions that make volunteering easier, more rewarding, and more sustainable.
4. Women
Context
Girls and women remain under-represented across many areas of grassroots football, not only as players, but also as coaches, referees, administrators, and leaders. Increasing their visibility and participation is vital to building inclusive football environments and inspiring the next generation to both play and contribute to the game.
Challenge Question 🧐
How can we increase representation and role models for girls and women in grassroots football?
What we’re looking for 🛠
- Ideas and initiatives that attract more girls into grassroots football.
- Innovative ways to showcase inspiring female role models who encourage participation and involvement.
- Programmes or platforms that support women to become coaches, referees, or volunteers.
- Solutions that celebrate, value, and highlight women’s contributions across all levels of grassroots football.
Think you might have the solution? We'd love to hear from you! Click below to apply.
Alignment with the Hungarian Grassroots Football Strategy
The Champions Innovate focus for 2026 is designed so that the themes align closely with The Hungarian Football Federation’s strategic grassroots pillars.
The MLSZ’s grassroots strategy for 2025-2030 focuses on promoting the game and strengthening its acceptance across society, inspiring children - especially those under 10 - to discover the joy of playing. Football is also seen as an educational tool, where coaches play a vital role in nurturing young people’s personal and social development. The strategy places great emphasis on keeping players engaged beyond the age of 13-14 by shaping positive club and coaching environments and introducing flexible formats that reflect the needs of modern life.
Benefits for innovators
Selected innovators will be granted a financial award of €25,000 with the intention of contributing to the costs associated with executing the pilot programme.
Selected innovators will benefit from exclusive access to experimental platforms facilitated by affiliations with the Hungarian Football Federation, local authorities and UEFA.
Selected innovators will benefit from the expertise and mentorship of experienced professionals.
Selected innovators will participate in two in-person workshop sessions scheduled in Budapest (in January and in March) and in one online workshop (in April), to actively engage and gain valuable insights on their projects. Exact dates to be communicated by UEFA at a later stage.
Selected innovators will have the opportunity to present the learnings of their pilot projects during an exclusive showcase event hosted at the Museum of Ethnography in Budapest on 28 May 2026, gathering the European football community.
Selected innovators will have the opportunity to connect with a valuable network that includes football stakeholders, creating possibilities for collaboration and avenues for growth.
Selected innovators will benefit from heightened visibility, and a spotlight on their innovative efforts.
Champions Innovate 2025/26 ⏱
Eligibility requirements
Proposals are encouraged from any structure or organisation capable of delivering a tangible product with an innovative approach to the exposed challenge(s) and the ability to scale it. Innovation can lie in the application or approach, not just in the technology.
As long as the above capabilities are met, applications will be considered from a range of different types of organisation, including from start-ups, academia, non-profits, charities, research centres and cross-industry tech providers.
Selection criteria
The proposed solution has the potential to create lasting value in the long term (i.e. post UEFA Champions League final 2026). The proposed solution can leave a tangible impact and includes methods or tools to measure it.
The proposed solution has the potential to scale effectively, reaching a broader audience upon expanding the impact over time with a long-term ambition and potential of leaving a legacy. Scalability is assessed in terms of technology, operations, market reach and resource allocation.
The team in place has the relevant skills, experience and expertise to deliver the project proposed in response to the challenge. The project is constructed upon insights, expertise and/or resources from the various stakeholders involved in the project to address the identified challenge.
The proposed solution brings an innovative approach in creating value to the stakeholders involved in the delivery of the Champions Innovate Programme. The project team shows a deep understanding of the challenge and clearly demonstrates how their solution addresses it.
The proposed solution has a visible positive impact on the beautiful game and ultimately on the experience of the players and identified role models (parents, coaches, workforce, women).
Do you have an idea that could transform grassroots football? Apply to Champions Innovate today by clicking the link below.