Scottish centre-back Hannah Godfrey was part of a Tottenham Hotspur trio to join Common Goal in October 2019 along with teammate Siri Worm and head coach Juan Carlos Amoros.
“Through my experience at university in North America, I had the privilege of gaining an education while also traveling across the country to play football. My experiences opened my eyes to the opportunity and lifestyle many of us take for granted. Common Goal has allowed me to look at things from a different perspective.”
Spanish left-back Adrián González Berzal joined the Common Goal Movement when he was just 17, showing the world that it’s never too early to make a difference.
"I decided to join Common Goal because I saw the opportunity to do my bit for those who need it most. Because football is not just a sport, but a way of life," explained Gonzalez.
“Though my contribution is only small right now, I want to help ensure that there is no gender inequality in football; because at every level everyone should have the same opportunities.
"By pledging 1% of my salary I can help young people like myself have the chance to improve their lives through the game we love. That makes me feel a sense of pride and satisfaction."
Ianis Hagi, son of the legendary Gheorghe Hagi, took the 1% salary pledge with his fellow Romanian teammate Tudor Baluta in 2021 — making them the first Romanians to join the team.
At such a young age, the forward has already made his mark on the game. He made his professional debut at age just 16 and has since gone on to win the Scottish Premier League title during his first full season with Rangers.
But from the beginning of his career he's wanted to make his mark off the pitch by helping Romanian communities and people from underprivileged backgrounds.
“I’m now part of something I’ve wanted to do since I was a kid so I’m really happy I can help at a young age,” he said.
Pernille Harder is a Danish international who currently plays her football for Chelsea Football Club in England.
She joined Common Goal in August 2019 alongside her partner and former teammate Magda Eriksson and in the same year was nominated for the Ballon D’or.
Wini Heatley joined Common Goal keen to use her position as a player to help inspire and drive social change.
The Australian was inspired to join after seeing her former teammate and Common Goal member Isobel Dalton also taking the 1% pledge.
"Although equality in all forms has come a long way, there are still many social inequities that need to be addressed, and a lot of work that needs to be done.
I joined common goal because I believe that football has the power to inspire powerful social change, and as a footballer I feel privileged to be able to use my platform to inspire and support that change."
Sophie Howard is a Scottish international and joined Common Goal in May 2019 alongside her Scottish international teammate Christine Murray.
Sophie believes that football is a powerful tool to achieve social change in society and is focused on supporting football-based education activities. In 2019, she visited football for good organization Street League where she got the opportunity to coach in conjunction with observing the educational programmes on offer.
World Cup winner and adidas athlete Mats Hummels joined the Common Goal movement in 2017. In doing so, he became the second player ever to take the 1% pledge.
Also an ambassador for UNICEF, Mats sees Common Goal as the perfect movement to improve the world around him and believes there is scope for the football industry to do more and become a real force for good in the world.
Born in Salamanca, Bruno Iglesias follows fellow Real Madrid academy product Juan Mata, and a host of other high-profile Spaniards, in pledging 1% of his salary to football for good causes.
When he joined Common Goal in April 2020, the adidas athlete became one of the youngest players to join the team. He was 16.
“We must worry about what is truly important, have empathy with everyone else, and just behave like normal people, which is what we are,” said Bruno.
Tom Iorpenda took the 1% pledge when he was just 17 - the same year he signed his first professional contract.
In doing so he became one of the youngest players to join the movement and the first from Huddersfield Town.
He aims to help propel social change through football around the world and seeks to inspire others to do the same.
"I hope if people younger than me or around my age see this and get educated by it, they can start doing something similar to what I'm doing and join the movement,” said Tom.
Peter Vindahl is a Danish and one of multiple players to have joined the movement through FC Nordsjaelland, after the club became the first to join the movement.
Peter himself became a member in August 2019, citing his belief in a duty to give back to future generations as prime reason for joining up.
Laura Juul Hansen took the 1% pledge the year after she helped HB Køge win the Danish league for the first time in club history.
The winger wants to give back to the game that has given her so much and founded Sports Creates Memories, a football for good organisation in Ghana and Kenya, to do just that.
“I want to inspire others to make a difference and give everyone the opportunity to play football,” said Hansen.
Shinji Kagawa is a Japanese international and an adidas athlete, who has played for some of Europe’s biggest clubs – including Manchester United, where he was teammates with fellow Common Goal member Juan Mata.
In fact, it was Juan who first introduced Shinji to the movement and the pair share the same vision of how footballers should interact with the world around them.
After joining Common Goal, Shinji was keen to experience first-hand how football is changing lives and, in July 2019, travelled to The Philippines to visit FundLife – an organisation supported through Common Goal that provides innovative football-based educational activities to vulnerable children.
Emrah Klimenta joined the movement while playing for Oakland Roots SC - Common Goal's first US club. Having won the USL Cup previously with Sacramento Republic, the centre-back is no stranger to success on the pitch.
The Montenegrin footballer is looking to continue his success off the pitch by joining the football for good movement and driving social change around the globe to help create a more equitable future for all.
Konrad Laimer joined Common Goal one month after his RB Leipzig teammate Dani Olmo and following in the footsteps of coach Julian Naggelsman.
The midfielder joined on the back of his team’s impressive Champions League run which saw them eventually eliminated by Paris Saint Germain in the semi finals.
Laimer is determined to have a career he can look back on with pride but not just because of his achievements on the pitch but because of those off it too.
“I have everything that I need and I'm still at the beginning of what will hopefully be a long career as a professional footballer,” said Laimer.
“When I look back at the end of my career, I want to be proud of what I have achieved on and off the pitch."
Kathrine Larsen is a Danish international goalkeeper who, along with playing for the likes of FC Nordsjaelland, Djurgardens IF, and Brondby is also a qualified lawyer and combines her duties in law with her love of the game.
She was told about Common Goal by Danish teammate Sofie Junge Pederson and officially joined the movement in October 2019.
Maya Le Tissier took the 1% pledge just weeks after winning Brighton & Hove Albion's Young Player of the Season Award for 2021-22.
She has a history of breaking barriers across the game. In 2018, she became the first female to play for Guernsey's U-16 boy's team, and in 2022 broke the record for most appearances made by a teenager in the WSL.
Le Tissier is putting her 1% towards the Global Goal 5 Accelerator to help drive gender equality and to contribute to the evolution of the women's game.
"The older players have left women’s football in a great place and I just want to be part of the next generation that leaves it in an even better place," said Le Tissier
Adriana Leon is a member of the Canadian Women's National Team, and currently plays her club football at West Ham United.
She joined the Common Goal movement along with the entire Canadian Women's National Team in April 2019 and continues to push the women's game through her commitment to social engagement in the world of football.
"I believe our game has the power to change lives. For me, Common Goal is a movement that can bring the football world together to create a positive impact."
Adriana is joined on the Common Goal team by her fellow West Ham teammates Julia Simic, and Tessel Middag.
Ildefons Lima Solà is the all-time leading caps holder and goalscorer for the Andorran national team and has enjoyed an historic career for his country and for Inter Club d'Escaldes in the Andorran Primera Divisió.
Having been referred to Common Goal by fellow CG member Bruno Saltor, Ildefons was officially announced in February 2019.
“Given our privileged social status, I believe that as footballers we should be helping those who in need. I try to do my part in Andorra with Gol Solodari and now around the world with Common Goal.”
Kim Little joined Common Goal just days after helping Arsenal lift its sixth Women's League Cup.
The Scottish midfielder joined the movement along with ten other players and a coach who pledged 1% to Football For Her to drive gender equity.
In May 2019 Aivi Luik became the 100th Common Goal member alongside Matildas teammate Alex Chidiac, who introduced her to the movement over a cup of coffee.
Playing for Levante when she joined, football has given Aivi the opportunity to travel around the world doing what she loves most. She was keen to acknowledge this upon joining Common Goal
"I think we're in a really blessed situation as footballers and we have the privilege of earning a good income and at one percent, I feel almost anyone can give that because there are a lot of other people in greater need than ourselves.”
Collin Martin is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder in the United States. Collin has kitted out for teams such as D.C. United and Minnesota United FC in Major League Soccer, Richmond Kickers and Hartford Athletic in the United Soccer League and San Diego Loyal.
In 2018, when playing for Major League Soccer’s (MLS) Minnesota United, he became the first active openly male gay athlete in any of the big-five American sports leagues or any top-division professional men’s national football leagues.
In 2021, Collin decided to join the Common Goal movement; pledging a minimum of 1% of his annual salary towards driving social change through football.
Juan Mata, was the first athlete joining Common Goal in 2017 with a call for other professionals to join him in forming a Common Goal XI – since then the movement has grown year after year to now include more than 200 members.
Juan has achieved considerable success in his illustrious career and played for some of the world’s biggest clubs. He has won the World Cup and two European Championships on the international stage and the Champions League at the club level.
However, his achievements go beyond the pitch as he has proven himself to be one of the most socially conscious players in the world of football.
Saskia Matheis took the 1% pledge while playing for Werder Bremen - the first Bundesliga club to join the movement.
When she joined, she was the third active Werder Bremen player to be a part of Common Goal alongside her teammate Reena Wichmann and Maximilian Philipp from the men's team.
Gideon Mensah, has taken Common Goal to his heart and, in 2019, visited football for good organization Play Soccer Ghana while on winter break from FC Nordsjaelland
The midfielder was deeply moved by the chance to experience how football is changing lives in his homeland and saw many parallels between the organization and his club – with both believing a better person is a better player.
Gideon is keen to maintain his relationship with the young people at Play Soccer Ghana and also plans to visit Whizzkids United – the organization he teamed up with through Common Goal.
Lindo was yet another member of the Oakland Roots playing staff who made the 1% pledge together in 2021.
The experienced South African has made a career out of football in the United States, playing for the likes of the San Jose Earthquakes, Reno 1868 FC, and the Oakland Roots.
Lindo is an attacking midfielder by trade, and known for his incisive passing that can unlock the tightest of defences.
Tessel Middag is a Dutch international who plays her football for West Ham United. She is one of three West Ham members of Common Goal alongside teammates Julia Simic and Adriana Leon.
She was alerted to Common Goal by former teammate and fellow Common Goal member Pauline Bremer of Manchester City.
Tessel was drawn to Common Goal as it represents a united front for the football community, fighting the injustices and inequalities within the game. Her main areas of focus with Common Goal are quality education and equality for all, in and out of the world of football.
It's well known Vivianne Miedema is a force to be reckoned with on the pitch.
It took the lethal striker just 110 games to score 100 goals for the Gunners, and the adidas athlete has found the back of the net more times than any other Dutch footballer — male or female.
Off the pitch, she also knows how to make an impact.
Vivianne has been a War Child ambassador for the Netherlands since 2019. And in 2021, she joined the Common Goal movement to continue to help tackle the negative effects of conflict by supporting high-impact community organisations working with young people in situations of violence around the world.
New Zealand international Meikaya Moore joined Common Goal in 2022, fresh after winning the FA Women's Championship with Liverpool.
She's putting her 1% to Play Proud to help create a more inclusive game.
"Joining Common Goal became a no brainer, social change requires many heads and hearts and I didn’t second guess adding mine to the basket," said Moore.
"The Play Proud project personally speaks volumes - football as a facilitator has been massively influential in my journey as a member of the LGBTQ+ community.
"I hope I can play a role in continuing to make sport a safer space that is inclusive for all."