World Football Giving Day Gains Momentum as adidas Joins as First Lead Partner “To Be In”

As World Football Giving Day begins to take shape across the global game, adidas has joined as the first lead partner “to be in,” helping bring the initiative to life and support communities worldwide. 

“We’re excited to be part of World Football Giving Day and support an initiative with the potential to drive transformational impact. 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,” said Ashley Czarnowski, Head of Global Purpose Marketing at adidas. 

As part of this partnership, adidas is supporting a dedicated funding effort to strengthen football for good organisations working at the heart of communities. This initiative will provide up to 30 Capacity Football for Good Grants to community-led organisations, with a focus on resilience and long-term sustainability. 

These grants are designed to strengthen the foundations that enable organisations to thrive — from safeguarding and creating safe spaces to play, to coach education, programme design and measurement, partnerships, and governance. They can also help organisations respond to disruption or invest in critical areas that support their long-term growth and impact.  

“We’re proud to partner with adidas on World Football Giving Day. At a time when football for good NGOs are facing the combined challenge of increasing need and major funding cuts, investment into strengthening the capacity of organisations is more important than ever. The contribution adidas is making is responding directly to the needs of football for good organisations and the communities they serve around the world.” said George Springborg, Chief Community Officer at Common Goal.  

The selected organisations will be announced on 26 May, marking World Football Giving Day as a shared global moment to spotlight and support this work. 

With the FIFA World Cup 2026 on the horizon, the opportunity is not only to capture attention, but to shape legacy, ensuring the game creates opportunities for those too often excluded. 

World Football Giving Day, created by Common Goal, brings the football community together around giving back, mobilising the reach, culture and collective influence of the game to support a more inclusive and hopeful future. 

Head to www.worldfootballgivingday.org to get involved in this global moment. There are many ways to show up and contribute to unlock real impact across communities worldwide. 

Because when football shows its heart, the world can feel it.