UEFA marks World Football Day 2026
Monday, May 25, 2026
Article summary
Held each year on 25 May, World Football Day provides an opportunity to celebrate the sport’s global contribution to sustainable development, peace, human rights, environmental sustainability, cooperation and inclusion.
Article top media content
Article body
We are committed to using football to drive positive change beyond the pitch. Across Europe and beyond, our initiatives are using football to promote inclusion, well-being and opportunity, reflecting the wider goals behind World Football Day, launched by the United Nations (UN) in 2024.
A founding member of the UN’s Football for the Goals initiative, we continue to support the game's contribution to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Leading by example
Earlier this year, we upgraded our Strength Through Unity sustainability strategy, which since its launch in 2021 has set out a shared roadmap for the European football community.
The updates to the strategy ensure national associations, leagues and clubs continue to have a clear framework for advancing their sustainability activities, supported by workshops, guidelines and funding programmes that turn ambition into action.
Driven by the strategy, sustainability and accessibility are also increasingly embedded across our competitions and events. From EURO final tournaments to youth competitions, we continue to implement measures designed to create inclusive, accessible and environmentally responsible events for players, supporters and local communities.
Football for social impact
Football’s power to unite people from different backgrounds is at the heart of the Unity EURO Cup. Organised by with the help of UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, the annual tournament brings together teams of refugee and host community players from across Europe, highlighting football’s capacity to foster connection, understanding and belonging.
Next month, the inaugural Walking Football EURO Cup at UEFA HQ will showcase how football can help older players stay active, healthy and socially connected.
Beyond the football pitch, our Take Care programme is helping young people adopt healthier habits across six areas of daily life, with a wealth of resources freely available on physical activity, nutrition, mental health, digital addiction, substance awareness and road safety.
What is World Football Day?
World Football Day is celebrated each year on 25 May. The date honours the first-ever international football tournament, when teams from all over the globe came together to compete at the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris, laying the foundation for a worldwide phenomenon that transcends borders and unites people across cultures.
In 2024, to mark the 100th anniversary of that tournament, the UN General Assembly passed a resolution creating World Football Day to celebrate how football can continue to support the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
