Football’s Transformative Power: A Call for Change in the Beautiful Game

04/09/2024 · by World Football Summit

In the heart of every stadium, on every local pitch, and in the dreams of millions worldwide, football lives with an energy that transcends mere sport. It’s a universal language, a cultural phenomenon, and a powerful force for social change. Yet, as we stand at a crucial point in the game’s history, we must ask ourselves:

Are we fully embracing football’s potential to create a better world?

The Imperative for Change: Football as a Driving Force

Football, with its global reach and passionate following, holds an unparalleled position to influence society positively. However, the beautiful game faces challenges that mirror broader societal issues:

Inequality: Despite progress, women’s football still struggles for equal recognition, funding, and opportunities. The record-breaking success of events like the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup shows the immense potential and appetite for women’s football. Yet, the gap between men’s and women’s games remains significant. Organizations like Valeur Sport are making efforts to bring this issue to the table and gather the ecosystem to create solutions for it.

Discrimination: Racism, homophobia, and other forms of discrimination continue to be present within the sport at all levels. There is hope though, as initiatives like Kick It Out have made strides and are inspiring our society and future generations to show a red card to “discrimination.”

Environmental Impact: The carbon footprint of major tournaments, clubs, and fan travel is substantial. As climate change becomes an increasingly urgent issue, football must address its environmental responsibilities. Liverpool FC has been exemplary in this regard, having won the Sport Positive Environmental Sustainability League for the second year in a row, with all its initiatives being published in The Red Way Report.

Social Responsibility: With great influence comes great responsibility. Football has the power to address social issues like child poverty, as demonstrated by Marcus Rashford’s campaigning, but this potential is often underutilized. Rishi Jain, Director of Impact at Liverpool FC, laid it out beautifully on the World Football Summit podcast:

“Football clubs have the responsibility, but also the opportunity to drive positive change.”

Governance and Integrity: Scandals involving corruption and mismanagement have eroded trust in football’s governing bodies. Restoring integrity is crucial for the sport’s long-term health and impact and the role of Fair Game and similar organizations is instrumental. With good teamwork, everything is possible.

The Transformative Potential of Football

Throughout history, football has proven its immense capacity to drive positive change:

Unity and Social Cohesion: Football clubs like Leicester City FC have shown how the sport can unite diverse communities, fostering understanding and breaking down cultural barriers.

Economic Impact: The Premier League alone connects 1.66 billion fans across 190 countries, driving significant economic activity and creating opportunities for growth and development.

Health and Well-being: Grassroots football initiatives promote physical activity and mental health, addressing pressing public health concerns.

Education and Youth Development: Football-based programs can teach valuable life skills, provide mentorship, and open pathways to education and employment for young people.

Global Diplomacy: Football has even succeeded where traditional diplomacy failed, opening dialogues and building bridges between nations and cultures.

A Call to Action: Reimagining Football’s Role

To fully realize football’s potential as a force for good, we need a paradigm shift in how we approach the game. This shift must start at the top, with leaders in football governance, club ownership, and corporate partnerships taking the initiative to drive meaningful change.

Key areas for focus include:

Inclusive Leadership: Diversifying decision-making bodies to ensure representation across gender, ethnicity, and background.

Sustainability: Implementing comprehensive strategies to reduce football’s environmental impact and promote sustainable practices.

Social Impact Metrics: Developing and adopting standardized ways to measure and report on football’s social impact, encouraging accountability and continuous improvement.

Education and Empowerment: Leveraging football’s platform to educate fans and participants on critical social issues and empowering them to take action.

Collaborative Innovation: Fostering partnerships between football organizations, governments, NGOs, and the private sector to tackle complex social challenges.

The Power of Partnership: World Football Summit and the British Embassy

In recognition of football’s transformative potential and the urgent need for leadership in driving change, World Football Summit (WFS) and the British Embassy Madrid through its GREAT Gamechangers campaign have formed a strategic partnership ahead of WFS Europe 2024, taking place in Sevilla (Spain) on September 18-19. This collaboration aims to catalyze the power of sport for good, bringing together key stakeholders to drive innovation and impact.

The partnership builds on the UK’s rich football heritage and its commitment to using sport as a tool for positive change, as shown through GREAT, the UK government’s international marketing campaign, showcasing the very best of the United Kingdom. Ever since the creation of the first professional football league in 1888, the UK has been at the forefront of trying to develop the industry around it. This includes the social element of football, its ability to inspire people to do extraordinary feats and even create new sports.

It also leverages WFS’s position as a global platform for football industry leaders, creating a powerful nexus for driving transformation in the beautiful game. World Football Summit prides itself on being a supporter of Common Goal, the movement Co-founded by then Manchester United player, Juan Mata which encourages footballers to pledge 1% of their earnings to support social causes, including tackling racism and promoting gender equality, since its inception in 2017.

This dedication also shines through the annual WFS Awards, which seek to recognize those who are driving the industry forward with the Football for Good Award, The Eli Wolff Football without Limits Award and the Marcus Rashford Award, celebrating extraordinary societal contributions.

Together, WFS and the British Embassy are committed to:

Facilitating dialogue and collaboration between diverse stakeholders in the football ecosystem.
Showcasing and scaling innovative approaches to using football for social good.
Developing thought leadership and best practices for maximizing football’s positive impact.
Inspiring and empowering the next generation of football leaders to prioritize social responsibility, inclusion, and sustainability.

The Future of The Football We Need

As we look to the future, it’s clear that football has the potential to be more than just a game. It can be a powerful force for positive change, addressing some of the most pressing issues of our time. But realising this potential requires bold leadership, innovative thinking, and collaborative action.

The partnership between WFS and the British Embassy is just one step in this direction. The real change will come when every stakeholder in the football world – from governing bodies and club owners to players, fans, and local communities – recognizes their role in this transformation and commits to action.

As Nelson Mandela wisely said, “Sport has the power to change the world.” Now is the time for football to fully embrace this power and lead the charge towards a more equitable, sustainable, and inclusive future.

The beautiful game has given us so much. Now it’s our turn to give back, ensuring that football becomes the catalyst for positive change that our world so desperately needs.

The whistle has blown. The game is on. Will you join us in reshaping the future of football? Or will you watch from the sidelines?