UEFA Unity EURO Cup: A celebration of football uniting refugees and their host communities
Thursday, June 18, 2026
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On World Refugee Day we celebrate a competition that has become one of European football’s most inspiring examples of inclusion in action.
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For people forced to leave their homes, football can provide something invaluable: a sense of belonging. Organised by UEFA and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the UEFA Unity EURO Cup does just that by bringing together refugees and members of their host communities through football.
Since kicking off in 2022, the annual tournament has grown steadily in size and impact. What began as a modest pilot event featuring eight teams has evolved into a unique European celebration of inclusion, with 22 teams set to participate in the 2026 edition in Coverciano, the Italian Football Federation (FIGC)’s technical centre on the outskirts of Florence.
The expansion of the tournament reflects both its own success and the continued commitment across European football to create opportunities for refugees to participate, contribute and thrive.
"The Unity EURO Cup beautifully exemplifies our sport's profound impact on people's lives and promotes the values that UNHCR and UEFA stand for."
Continued success in 2025
The concept is simple, yet impactful: in a true spirit of inclusion, teams are made up of both refugee players and team-mates from their host communities, with the tournament played in a mixed-gender format.
The headquarters of the Royal Netherlands Football Association (KNVB) in Zeist was the setting for the 2025 Unity EURO Cup, where 18 teams participated. All the referees were refugees themselves, thanks to an education programme pioneered by local club AVV Zeeburgia in partnership with the KNVB. The programme has since evolved into a nation-wide initiative – a lasting legacy of the fourth edition of the competition.
Continental impact
Football offers a common language for people from a wide variety of backgrounds at the Unity EURO Cup, where social events form as much of a part of the tournament as the matches themselves, helping build friendships, confidence and a sense of belonging.
"Football is a unifying force in a world burdened by barriers," said UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin. "This tournament beautifully exemplifies our sport's profound impact on people's lives and promotes the values that UNHCR and UEFA stand for.
"Starting in unfamiliar surroundings is often challenging, but football can act as a powerful catalyst for integration and connection. It fosters understanding and unlocks opportunities for structured engagements and experiences that can genuinely affect our communities."
Impact, integration and inclusion across Europe
In preparation to the 2026 edition, national associations across Europe have enhanced their own refugee football programmes. Each creates meaningful opportunities for refugees and locals to connect, engage and grow together, while strengthening partnerships between football organisations, host communities and refugee support networks, including UNHCR country operations.
Click below to see how some of the participating nations are using football as a powerful catalyst for positive change.
The Austrian Football Association works with Breaking Grounds, a Vienna-based NGO, to recruit the country’s Unity EURO Cup team. The initiative uses football to support refugee inclusion, confidence and personal development, while helping participants build connections and overcome social and cultural barriers through shared sport.
"If I hadn't come to Austria, I would probably still be in Afghanistan," said Shifoka, one of Austria’s female players. "I would probably just be at home – because of the strict Taliban regime. In Afghanistan, boys were always freer than girls. As a girl from Afghanistan, playing football often felt out of reach. Taking part in the Unity EURO Cup and representing Austria was therefore a very emotional and special moment for me."
The French Football Federation works in collaboration with partner organisations Kabubu and Sport and Citizenship. Together they use awareness campaigns, storytelling and referee training to support refugee integration, strengthen access to football and promote long-term inclusion across communities.
Germany’s domestic Unity EURO Cup qualifying competition incorporates a ‘Unity Points’ system, which rewards fair play, respect and solidarity alongside performance. The event is centred around the nation’s refugee communities, with referees and volunteers drawn from refugee communities, catering provided by a refugee-owned business, and a dedicated awareness team ensuring a safe and welcoming environment for all participants.
Despite never having played together before, combined resilience, determination and a sense of togetherness propelled Team Greece to third place at the 2025 Unity EURO Cup. Despite their success, Iranian player Arjin summed up the true meaning of the tournament: "I found a new family, a new sense of belonging in and through football." The group has not only continued to play together but has since doubled in size – and will hope to repeat or surpass their feat at this year’s tournament.
The hosts of the 2026 tournament are running a Road to Unity EURO Cup 2026 pathway that combines football with education and social inclusion activities ahead of the 2026 tournament in Coverciano. FIGC refugee support activities span 91 refugee centres, involve 784 players and 29 clubs, and create structured pathways for participation, selection and integration.
The refugee football integration programme in Latvia highlights football’s capacity as a pathway for inclusion and leadership. Refugee players such as Ukrainian twins Matvijs and Tomofijs Marusiji have progressed through the system and starred at Unity EURO Cup tournaments, while former refugee player Oleh Lazurk – who led Latvia’s 2025 Unity EURO Cup team – now coaches mixed teams of refugees and locals in Riga.
Malta Football Association staff are very often the first to engage with refugees. Such encounters change the lives of all involved, both refugees and staff. Football creates a space for people from all backgrounds and cultures to meet on a level playing field, with weekly training sessions providing a structured and welcoming space to connect and play. Some former Unity EURO Cup participants stay involved as volunteers, coaches or community leaders.
The Irish FA Foundation’s integration programme delivers year-round, multi-sport, trauma-informed initiatives across Northern Ireland, engaging refugees and local communities to foster inclusion and belonging. The initiatives promote inclusion, wellbeing and employability, with strong refugee-led design, high female participation and pathways into clubs and community life.
"The programme gave me the confidence and skills to get involved," said participant Emmanuel Aluko. "It helped me feel part of the community."
The Romanian Football Federation has set up a new initiative to form Romania’s first Unity EURO Cup team. Delivered in partnership with UNHCR and the National Agency for Sport, the selection tournament sets out to promote diversity, friendship and inclusion during the process of building a representative national squad.
Bigger than ever in 2026
The 2026 tournament will continue that mission. Hosted at Italy's national technical centre in the suburbs of Florence, it will bring together 22 teams and almost 400 players, coaches, volunteers and organisers from across Europe for a two-day celebration of friendship and inclusion, with football at its heart.
Alongside the matches, participants will take part in social and cultural activities designed to encourage interaction, learning and mutual understanding.
Trophies will be awarded and champions crowned, but the true success of the Unity EURO Cup cannot be measured by results alone. Its greatest achievement is creating an environment where people from different backgrounds can come together as teammates, opponents and friends.
This World Refugee Day, the Unity EURO Cup stands as a powerful example of what is possible when sport opens its doors to all.
UEFA Football for Refugees Toolkit
Football organisations wishing to start their own refugee initiatives are invited to consult the UEFA Football for Refugees Toolkit. Beyond providing practical guidance, the toolkit also aims to open dialogue with local communities, ensuring that every individual has the chance to thrive, contribute and feel truly at home in our game.