A Look Back: Common Goal and FC Nordsjælland

Celebrating FC Nordsjælland ongoing commitment through the 1% ahead of World Football Giving Day

In 2018, FC Nordsjælland took an unprecedented step in the football world. The Danish club became the first football club to adopt the 1% pledge at an institutional level — embedding it into contracts across the club, from management and players to staff, with the option to opt out.

The pledge committed 1% of total stadium revenues to Common Goal, while the club's entire leadership team also dedicated 1% of their personal salaries. The announcement came just ahead of FCN's final match of the season, before the club secured qualification for European competition. It was introduced by Juan Mata, the first player to join Common Goal, and formalised with the support of Kasper Schmeichel.

What FC Nordsjælland proved, in doing so, was something the football world needed to hear: that purpose and performance could go hand in hand. What began as a pioneering commitment would go on to lay the foundation for nearly a decade of support for Common Goal and its mission to use football as a force for good.

FC Nordsjælland is part of the Right to Dream group, which has partnered with Common Goal since 2022 to expand opportunities and pathways for young people through football, with the support of Sir Mohamed Mansour helping accelerate this shared vision for football’s role in society (Read more here).

Over the years, more than 160 athletes, coaches, executives and staff members across FCN and the wider Right to Dream ecosystem have taken the 1% pledge at least once. Through the model, players, employees and executives collectively decide which causes and football for good organisations matter most to them, helping direct support towards community-driven initiatives around the world.

Together, they have supported a wide range of collective projects addressing some of society’s most urgent challenges through the power of football. From advancing gender equality through Equal Play Effect and supporting racial justice initiatives to responding to the COVID-19 crisis and accelerating environmental action, these initiatives have used football as a platform for inclusion, education and community resilience.

FC Nordsjælland’s support has played an important role in helping scale these efforts. Through consistent backing over the years, the club has enabled innovative projects to grow, reach more communities and deliver meaningful change where it is needed most.

Launched in 2017 as an athlete-led movement by Juan Mata together with Common Goal, the 1% pledge links football’s success with community impact by inviting players, clubs, brands and stakeholders across the game to dedicate 1% of their earnings, revenue, time or influence in support of community-driven initiatives worldwide.

What began with individual athlete leadership has since grown into a global movement connecting players, coaches, clubs, brands and media platforms around a shared purpose. More than 500 stakeholders have now taken the pledge, mobilising over €15 million to support football for good organisations and collective initiatives around the world.

Now, as World Football Giving Day approaches on May 26, the moment also offers an opportunity to celebrate FC Nordsjælland’s long-standing commitment throught the 1% pledge. It reflects the very spirit behind World Football Giving Day: bringing the football community together around solidarity, collective action and the belief that football can help create a more equal playing field for all.