Adidas Joins Common Goal as Lead Partner for World Football Giving Day

World Football Giving Day, a new global initiative spearheaded by the social impact movement Common Goal, has secured adidas as its first lead partner.

The collaboration aims to unify the global football community, from elite athletes and major brands to grassroots fans, around a shared moment of giving back, timed to follow the United Nations’ official World Football Day on May 25.

The inaugural World Football Giving Day will take place on 26 May 2026. The initiative is designed to address a critical funding gap in the “football for good” sector, where non-profits are currently facing rising demand alongside significant reductions in international aid.

Highlighting the “ripple effect” potential of the campaign, head of Global Purpose Marketing at adidas, Ashley Czarnowski, said: “By inspiring participation and enabling support at scale, it can create a ripple effect that accelerates impact for communities around the world.”

“It shows what’s possible when the global football community comes together to give back,” Czarnowski said.

Noting that the investment comes at a pivotal moment, chief community officer at Common Goal, George Springborg, added: “The contribution adidas is making is responding directly to the needs of football for good organisations and the communities they serve around the world.”

The Capacity Football for Good Grants

A central pillar of the adidas partnership is the launch of a dedicated funding effort to ensure the long-term sustainability of community-led organisations.

Adidas will support up to 30 Capacity Football for Good Grants, which focus on strengthening the internal foundations of grassroots NGOs.

Unlike traditional project-based funding, these grants are designed to support:

• Safeguarding & Governance: Creating safe spaces for play and ensuring sound organisational leadership.
• Coach Education: Investing in the training and development of local mentors.
• Programme Resilience: Helping organisations respond to disruption and invest in impact measurement and design.
• Legacy Building: Ensuring community impact survives long after the spotlight of major tournaments like the FIFA World Cup 2026 fades.

Road to 2026 and Participant Selection

The initiative builds on the legacy of the “1% pledge” launched by Juan Mata in 2017 and is supported by a growing roster of ambassadors including Jurgen Klopp, Vivianne Miedema, and Sofie Junge Pedersen.

The organisations selected to receive the Capacity Grants will be announced on 26 May 2026, marking the official launch of World Football Giving Day as an annual global tradition.

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