Celebration of the World Football Day 2026

All right.
Thank you very much.
Good afternoon.
My name is Stephanie Djuriq.
I'm the spokesman for the Secretary-General.
It's my honor to preside or at least try to preside over this colorful meeting this afternoon.
Madam President of the General Assembly, President Infantino, Excellent season Protocols observed, thank you for coming.
Madam President of General Assembly, I have a request for you.
Given that the organizers have sought fit to ask a Frenchman to preside over this meeting, I would ask you to suspend one part of the charter today and that is Article 100, paragraph one, which asks international civil servants to put aside their nationalities and their national preference.
Yes.
Exactly.
Because frankly speaking, having a Frenchman put aside his natural feelings on football as we march towards a third star on our jersey in the meadow lines is a little difficult.
I ask for your indulgence.
Okay.
And the referees put on his jersey.
Great.
Thank you very much.
We have a full program today, so let me just first of all, warmly welcome you on behalf of the two co chairs of the group of friends of football, Ambassador Hikmat and Ambassador Jamal Faris Al Away, permanent representatives of Tajikistan and of Bahrain, respectively.
From the Secretariat side, I also just want to take a moment to talk to you briefly about our Football for the Goals Initiative, which brings together more than 440 organizations across the global football community, federations, leagues, clubs, players, and civil society to advance the sustainable development goals through action, advocacy, and accountability.
At a time when progress towards the 2030 agenda must accelerate, football gives us something powerful, a global platform that connects across borders, cultures, and generations and turns passion into real action for a more inclusive, peaceful, and sustainable world.
Thank you very much for all being here.
I look forward to hearing a lot of excellent speakers.
But before we start, I want you to turn your eyes to these screens as we see a short video countdown to the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Thank you.
The most iconic tournament on the planet like you've never seen it before, three great nations will welcome the world to unite.
Call it to the winner across a continent.
This is epic anthem.
In peace and in celebration.
This is one at the biggest Kate parents have qualified for the World Cup.
Most inclusive.
Brilliant.
Most anticipated.
So very nearly there.
And most meaningful tournament.
It's simply outstanding.
The world has ever known.
He is a sensation.
It's almost here.
And we're ready.
So to get even more ready, I would ask the president of the General Assembly and Elena Burbach to come to the podium and address us.
Thank you.
Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen and especially the young diplomats here today.
Well, cheer again like you did at the beginning of this session.
Where are you? This day is especially for you.
I thank you all for joining this commemoration of World Football Day.
Of course, we all love football, otherwise we would not be here.
And this is the wonderful thing about football, how widely it's loved, watched and play.
It is truly universal.
You can play it in a grand stadium, but you can also play it on a dusty field besides a highway.
You can play it in backyards or in tool yards, barefoot or in expensive shoes.
It doesn't matter what language you speak, the color of your skin, or what your parents earn.
On the pitch, everyone is alike.
And all that matters is only if you can get this damn thing into the goal.
If you can take the corner kick well, or especially if you are a team player.
The power of sports can almost move mountains.
Yet sport is not isolated.
It mirrors society.
I would say ask almost any woman or girl how they came into football the first place.
Surely, you will hear some moment or episode where they had to overcome an obstacle, if not to say setback.
When I was a girl myself in the 80s, women before me in my country fought the battle against our football association to actually be allowed to play.
But there were hardly any girls teams, especially at the village where I lived.
My cousin who desperately wanted to play football at a certain age when she was told that she's not allowed to play any longer with the boys, actually forced everyone in a whole family to join the girls team so she could play.
Unfortunately, I was a gymnast, so it didn't really work out for me on the field.
Luckily, more than 30 years later, even the highest levels of football increasingly recognize their active responsibility when it comes to gender equality, and there have been immense strides.
I don't know if everybody is aware, but how important the message was to the women and girls, not only in Afghanistan, that while the Taliban took away their education, their right to work or to play sports, that the Afghan women United is now finally recognized by FIFA as the official Afghan women's team opening the door for these powerful inspiring women to play despite the Taliban forbidding women's sports is more what you can actually imagine to do for women equality.
And this is deeply commendable, and I think it can be really a blueprint what else can be moved by sports because we all know that we still have a long way to go.
If women teams are expected to carry the same responsibility, represent their countries with the same pride and inspire the same passion, then it's a little bit difficult to explain little girls that the men teams who will win the next football championship right now will have a compensation three times higher than the women team who just won before.
So football shows us not only what fairness can look alike, but it also reminds us how much more work we can do if we do it together, not only with regard to gender, but in general terms on equality.
Because it's hard to call it the world's game while half the world still has to fight harder for the space on the pitch.
Initiatives like scoring for the goals or initiatives give every talent a chance is truly important and I can only encourage everybody involved in football to increase their investments interests.
As a multi billion dollar enterprise with global reach, football also carries this special responsibility.
If football unites us, it is in our own interest to do everything to counter what divides us in daily life.
Including standing up for the rules that make the game possible in the first place.
Nobody in this room and nobody in the world questions that a game last 90 minutes and that you cannot touch the ball with your hands except if you have a throw in or except if you're the goalkeeper and even if you are the most famous player in the world, you're not allowed to do this, otherwise, you'll send off the pitch.
If you refuse that, you cannot play anymore.
The lesson is simple rules make the game, the game we all love football.
With rules, there would be no football.
The same holds true in these halls.
Our United Nations built on simple rules like in football.
And the understanding that everyone has to play by the rules, no matter how big or small, how powerful or rich, otherwise, there would be no unity, no peace, and not even football.
So I count on all of you loving football here today and loving football around the world, that you don't only uphold these simple rules while watching matches at the Toronto Stadium in Canada or at the Mexico Cityo Stadium and at the New York New Jersey Stadium right here in the United States.
But remind each other, especially after the World Cup, of the lessons.
Every kid learns, as we say in German, in the F Hun, our Pampers League, that you pick each other up when someone falls, that you respect the rules, otherwise you will never win.
And that never, ever forget that even the greatest superstars will not get the world trophy alone because indeed, we are always better together.
I thank you.
Thank you very much, Madam President.
I now want to invite the permanent representative of the Republic of Tajikistan, His ExcellcyYnibk Imat to the podium.
Thank.
Madam President of the General Assembly, President of FIFA, Excellencies, dear friends of the beautiful game of football.
Thank you for joining us today.
Nelson Mandela once said, sport has the power to change the world.
It has the power to inspire.
It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does.
Two years ago, in this very home, that power moved from principle to policy.
This Assembly adopted Resolution 78 slash 281 by consensus, facilitated by three nations, three continents, one B, Bahrain, Libya, and Tajikistan.
Tajikistan is proud to have jointly planted that seed.
From the Palmer Mountains to Duchamb City, we have always known a simple truth.
A football needs no translator, no passport, no permission.
Resolution 78 slash 281 is not a celebration of a sport.
It is a common language every nation in this whole has agreed to speak for peace, for development, for the empowerment of women and girls, and for cooperation across every border drawn on every map.
Dear friends, in Tajikistan where more than 60% of our population is young, football is not a pastime.
It is a national strategy under the leadership of His Excellency, Rustae Mo Mali, president of Central Asia Football Association, and of the Football Federation of Tajikistan, more than 500 modern pitches have been built across the country.
Women's teams were created, School for young referees open and Tajikotball Federation restructured.
Football in Tajikistan is synonymous with respect stability, integration, and peace and every child wherever he or she lives must have an equal opportunity to play.
102 years ago in Paris, the first global football tournament was held just six years after a war that had emptied a generation from the trenches of Europe.
That is what football has always done.
It does not wait for peace, it builds it.
Today, on behalf of Tajikistan, we issue a simple invitation.
Pass the ball, pass it to the child in the refugee camp.
Pass it to the girl told she cannot play.
Pass it across the lines we have drawn and watch those lines fade because football is not a game we always win.
It is a game we have agreed to share in defeat, in victory, in heartbreak, and in hope and there is no other human endeavor on this earth of which the same can be said.
Happy World Football Day.
Thank you.
Thank you very much, Ambassador.
I want to invite the permanent representative of Libya, Ambassador Taher El-Sonni, and Ambassador, I apologize because I failed to mention that Libya was the third co sponsor of the meeting.
So please, you have the floor and I do apologize.
Thank you very much, Madam PGA, Mr.
President Apontio, President of FFA, Excellencies, colleagues, distinguished guests, fans of football around the world.
It is my pleasure to be here on behalf of my country, Libya, and a co chair of Group of Friends Football to celebrate with you our second anniversary of the 25th of May Worldootball Day.
But this year is definitely special.
What's better than celebrating today as we are only weeks away from the kickoff of the number one major tournament around the world, which will bring millions of fans together from all time zones to watch and cheer the 2026 World Cup.
A kid growing up in Libya, my passion for football had no bounds.
As many of you, I'm sure, I remember playing for hours on the streets and fields with nothing more than a worn out ball and friends who shared the same love of the r game.
We did not need kits or goalposts, just space to run, dream, and play.
Football was our escape.
Football was our joy.
It taught us discipline and teamwork.
It taught us how to cope with defeat and work harder to win and compete.
Those early days shaped not only my love for the game, but also my understanding of its unique power, the power to bring people together, to lift spirits, and to bring in joy even in the most difficult times.
Until this day, this passion never faded away.
In fact, even with all the work challenges I face today, a game of football one time a week is something I just cannot wait for.
From that and with my colleagues, I often wondered why there was no International Day recognizing football the most played and watched sport on the globe.
The idea of uniting the world around a day dedicated to celebrate football was born.
We presented this resolution two years ago and thanks to your support with a record break of 170 co sponsors, it was adopted and May 25th became marked as the World Football Day.
Mr.
President President Barb and Mr.
Infantino, look around you today.
Look at the kids joining us, look at the colors, all wearing national jerseys and their clubs and flags.
This assembly hall has been transformed to a field, a stadium.
It's maybe more much interesting than our day to day diplomatic work.
But at the same time, I'm sure, Mr.
Infantino, many of those are wondering when are they going to get their free tickets outside? In Libya, as in every corner of the globe, football is far more than a game.
It is a source of hope, resilience, and national pride.
In times of hardship, football has provided our youth with joy, our communities with sense of belonging, and our country with moments of collective celebration and solidarity.
Despite all challenges facing many nations today, the sound of children and youth playing football and families gathering to watch and cheer can still be heard on the streets, in the schools, on the fields, and every place where a ball can be kicked.
Football reminds us that our dreams remain alive and that unity is always possible.
Libya firmly believes that sport and football in particular must be embraced as a tool for healing and inclusion, for innovation and development.
Football transcends politics, geography and language.
It speaks directly to the human spirit.
On this special occasion, we invite the world to come together and celebrate the unifying spirit of football and to promote the values it represents as teamwork, fair play, perseverance, unity, and most importantly, peace.
That's why Mr.
Infantino, as we know, your efforts to promote football for peace, and in line with that, I do hope you would take on board Libya's proposal to introduce within your organization Football for diplomacy as a tool by arranging friendly games and using goodwill ambassadors to bring nations together in times of hardship and tension and to promote fairness and inclusion and advance peace beyond exclusion and political divides, because football is quite simply a bridge between nations.
Dear fans around the world, let May 25th serve not only as a day of celebration, but also a global reminder that even the simplest game changed lives and Libya is proud to champion this vision.
As we all know, on the field, the common goal for any team is actually to win and score a goal.
Let us in the world field collectively work on the common goal is to make sure that football unites us all.
Thank you.
Ambassador Alone, thank you very much for those inspiring words.
Before we hear from President Infantino, I'd ask you to turn your attention to the screens for another video on the FIFA World Cup 2026.
48, the biggest FIFA World Cup evers.
Not because it's louder, not because it's larger, because it means more.
More moments.
More moments to say It means more streets erupting, more voices cracking.
More tears.
For some, it's tradition.
For others, history written for the very first time.
Places that have waited and waited and waited and kept believing.
This is what 48 means.
It means nights that won't be forgotten, songs that don't stop, flags that never come down, memories that never fade.
And it's a moment of World Cup history.
The Giants will be there, the icons, the names everyone knows.
But this time, they're not standing alone.
They're standing next to new stories, new voices, new hopes.
This World Cup isn't just about who wins.
It's about who gets the chance the chance to feel that moment when everything changes.
48 teams, one stage, one shared feeling.
Got the side I want.
Like you've never seen it before.
Here we go.
Thank you.
I'd like to now invite FIFA President Jan Infantino to address us.
Mr.
President, please.
Well, thank you very much, dear President of the General Assembly.
Dear ambassadors, in particular, allow me to say from Bahrain, Libya, and Tajikistan who had this fantastic idea of this event.
Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, the children, make some noise, children.
Yay.
Our future.
What an incredible honor it is for me to stand here in front of you today in this incredible room here at the United Nations.
I walked in the door, a few minutes ago, I was wearing a suit and a tie and I was wanting to make a very formal speech, and then I was taken over by the joy and the happiness of all of you of all these fantastic children of all of you ladies and gentlemen, and of course, I took off my tie, I took off, my jacket and I'm wearing now the T shirts that the referees are wearing when they have their free time after and before matches because as your president of the General Assembly said so rightfully, well, we need rules We need laws and we need somebody that makes that these rules are respected.
In football as in life, it is exactly the same, and we try to do this and we try to do it in the best possible way at FIFA.
My message today actually is very simple.
Football is about happiness, It is about hope and it is about unity.
We have to remember these three things.
Let's remember to be happy.
Let's remember to give hope and let's remember that we have to unite and we have to unite the world and we try to unite the world.
But before that, we have to remember what a sport like football does.
If you look at this, this is the official match bowl of the FIFA World Cup, you would think this is a ball? Well, it's not a bowl.
Okay.
Children, children, throw it in the room.
Throw it, it, it.
Throw it there, throw it there.
Throw it.
Yes.
Yeah, throw it there.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Okay.
Okay, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on.
Okay, okay.
Children.
Well, great.
You see, that's exactly what I wanted to show you.
This is not a ball.
This is a magic object that transforms children or adults into happy children or happy adults.
As soon as you get the ball, As soon as you touch a bowl, you start smiling, you start being happy, you start enjoying, you start playing.
It is so easy to be happy.
Let's remember, to be happy, there are enough problems around the world.
Everyone has their own personal problems on top of the world's problem.
But we have to remind ourselves from time to time to enjoy, to have fun, and to be happy.
The world cup that is starting in three weeks from now on the 11th of June in Mexico City will be exactly that.
Give happiness and give hope as well because What FIFA does with all the revenues from this World Cup and every other world cup as well, is reinvesting in the game in projects like the Afghanistan girls who can finally play football like projects in Africa, in Asia, in America, in Oceania to allow children to play football and to have hope and opportunities for the future because football and playing football is not just a sport.
As it was said so brilliantly earlier by the previous speakers, it is a school of life.
You maybe don't speak the language.
But as soon as you play football, you know that there are rules that you have to comply with.
You cannot touch it with your hands except if you are the goalkeeper, you cannot kick anyone.
You know that you win only as a team.
And you learn as well not only to win, but also to lose.
But the most important lesson in football is that if you lose, you learn to stand up again because the next match is coming next weekend and you're going to win that next match.
It teaches you as well resilience and it teaches you so many important things, giving hope and opportunities to our children.
Having said that and I conclude, of course, the World Cup wants to unite the world.
We need it.
You know it much better than me, who am I to tell you this? Our world is going through a complicated time, a difficult time and sometimes in difficult times, we need an excuse, an excuse to unite, an excuse to bring people together.
I hope with the help of all of you here in the United Nations, I hope we can use this world cup to really unite the world.
We see it as our motto in FIFA football unites the world football or soccer.
Maybe we can clarify this as well in a second.
Football unites the world, but we have to unite the world in happiness and joy in a world cup.
In this world cup, we'll have three host countries, Mexico, Canada and the United States working hand in hand to make it a success.
16 host cities, 48 teams, 48 countries, participating 7 million people in the stadiums, tens of millions coming to the three host countries and the 16 host cities just to feel the vibe of the World Cup, just to be together and spend time with each other and learn to know each other.
We'll have 6 billion people watching from all over the world.
You know that? You know how important it is in all your countries when a world cup match is going on in Uruguay or in Brazil or in Colombia, or in Saudi Arabia or in Japan or in Germany or anywhere, the streets are empty.
Everyone is focusing on a football match and everyone comes together.
Let's make this world cup that starts in a few weeks a moment of unity.
A moment of happiness and a moment of hope for the future and hope as well that our world, and that's our shared responsibility can have as well a very peaceful world cup.
Thank you very much for your attention.
Enjoy the day.
Thanks for having me here.
Thanks some nice children.
Thank.
Thank you very much, President Infantino.
Maybe we can send that ball to the Security Council for a little bit.
Good.
If I can now ask the permanent representative of Germany, Ambassador Rcliff, Johannes Boynton, to address us, please.
Wow.
This is something special.
We don't get these cheers here every day.
You're making us all very, very happy.
Thank you, young players for coming today.
Yes, indeed.
Madam President, President Infantino, colleagues, friends, this is truly something here.
Yes, it's a big space filled with people from every nation united by a single passion, believing in a common set of rules.
We could be talking about the United Nations, but we're also talking about football.
We're talking about the game where a universal set of rules creates order and everybody follows that.
We can learn a lot from football and we don't want to hear only long speeches today, so I will be very brief.
But we can learn a lot and diplomacy can learn a lot.
Some years back, the United Nations had a special adviser to the Secretary-General on sport, Billy Lemke from Germany, who said sport can open doors that diplomacy cannot.
I'm very happy that the United Nations today, through the engagement of my three friends, the ambassadors of Libya, Tajikistan and Bahrain, recognizes this today and Germany recognizes this too.
We have wholeheartedly embraced this.
Decades and we've supported sports diplomacy in many, many countries, sending coaches around the world for football for other sports as well, but especially for football as well.
Celebrating world football today here is very close to my heart.
It was said and it's not hard to see that I'm the ambassador of Germany, but I have a confession to make.
I have never worn this jersey here in this hall, nor have I ever worn this in public.
Yes, the president is shocked.
Being the ambassador here is a job with a lot of responsibility and it's a privilege and I feel honored to do it every day.
But wearing this jersey now, the responsibility and the joy is even bigger.
I can only imagine what it must feel like for national players to be on the pitch for the team and to be at the World Cup.
We're looking forward to the World Cup so much around the world and in Germany as well.
I think the German French friendship will survive when I say, let's see who gets the star.
Okay.
The next step on the journey you have four S.
Now, the only reason I'm saying this is that I'm very happy that I'm not the only ambassador today here for Germany.
My team is here, of course, as well, and they're all ambassadors.
But I'm very happy to say that I have three distinguished guests today.
I'm very happy they could make it German football stars and former players of the Germany's national team.
They're sitting down here and you will hear from them and they will be with us through the afternoon for the game and for the reception after Steffy Jones, Gerard Azama, and Benedict Curves.
They've all been on the pitch for Germany wearing one of these jerseys, maybe one of a previous kind because this is the current one.
But if you want to know kids, what it feels like to play for a national team or even hold up the trophy for the World Cup, well, ask those, ladies and gentlemen and Benedict Hovedz was part of the winning team for Germany in 2014.
I sent around an invitation where he was actually on on the pitch with the trophy and I'm always happy to see those pictures again, even though it's more than ten years ago.
Thank you for being here today.
Thank you for doing this with us and for being great ambassadors for the s, for sports diplomacy around the world and thank you for all that you do.
Thank you for being your friends.
Thank you very much, Ambassador.
I would now like to ask the permanent representative of Portugal to the UN, Ambassador Rui Vinnas to address us.
Thank you.
Well, Portuguese national jersey with the number seven, it's the bar is a bit high, but I have to I'm afraid I will disappoint you a bit.
It's just me, the Portuguese PR.
But Anyway, Madam PGA, President Infantino, dear, Johnny Beck, Jamal and Taher, thank you for this initiative that you started two years ago, and we're very proud to be here as co sponsor.
Football is indeed one of the world's universal languages across cultures, generations, and borders, football creates connection, belonging, and hope.
It brings people together in ways that few other global phenomena can.
This is why football also matters for the work of the United Nations and we thank FIFA for cooperating with many of the UN agencies.
This event is about this message.
For many years, the UN has recognized the power of sport to advance peace, development, education, inclusion, and gender equality.
Football can help strengthen communities, create opportunities for young people, and promote dialogue across societies, directly contributing to the implementation of the SDGs.
In refugee camps or disadvantaged neighborhoods, football often becomes a space for dignity, participation, and opportunity.
It's also a form of diplomacy, creates bridges between people and countries, foster mutual understanding and reminds us of our shared humanity.
Portugal strongly believes in this potential from Ebo to Figo, from Jose Moreno to Cristiano Ronaldo.
Football has shaped generations of Portuguese people and has long reflected the openness, diversity, and global connections of the Portuguese society.
Through the work of the Portuguese Football Federation, we also have increased it has become a platform for inclusion and social impact.
Federation has supported initiatives promoting equal opportunities, combating discrimination, expanding access to football for girls and women.
We also cooperate with African countries, especially the Portuguese speaking African countries.
We are especially encouraged by the remarkable growth of women's in football.
This progress sends an important message that football has no gender and talent has no gender.
As we look have Portuguese honored to be one of the hosts of the 2030 FIFA Football Cup together with Spain and Morocco.
We hope that this historic World Cup, the first to be hosted in different continents connected Europe and Africa will stand not only for sporting excellence, but also for dialogue, diversity, and international partnership.
But now we have the 2026 World Cup just a few weeks away and I not only wish all the best for the World Cup, but also, I don't have four stars in my jersey as the ambassador of Germany, but maybe this is good luck for having the first who knows.
Thank you very much and congratulations to all of you.
Thank you very much, Ambassador.
And I would like now to invite my colleague, Assistant Secretary-General for youth Affairs, Felipe Plier.
Felipe, please welcome.
Good afternoon, Stephan, thank you very much.
I'm using the exception granted by the PGA to use during this day, at least for a short while the national shirt of my country, even though I'm here as a civil servant of the United Nations.
But thank you, President of the General Assembly.
Thank you, President Infantino, and thank you ambassadors of Tajikistan, Libya, and Bahrain for bringing us together not only as a diplomatic community, but especially, I think, as friends of football.
And today having this meeting in this hall really fits because we are celebrating football and that fits to a room where the world meets.
Because football more than any other sport is where the world recognizes itself.
Football crosses borders, languages, and definitely it crosses generations.
It's the first sport that billions play in streets, in the schoolyards.
Sometimes it's even with just a ball made of rocks.
Football is in a true sense, a universal language.
No other sports reaches so many people.
It always begins in the same simple way.
It's a group of people, some open space, and the instinct to play together.
And that instinct to play, to connect, to belong is not just about sports.
It's really about well being.
Right now, the well being of young people demands our urgent attention.
We are facing a global youth mental health crisis where one in seven young people worldwide is living with a mental health condition, depression, anxiety, loneliness are rising.
Accelerating in a world by digital pressures, by economic uncertainty, and definitely a world as you know more than ever in constant turbulence.
Young people in their homes, in their schools, in the streets, they're telling us that they feel unseen and that they feel overwhelmed.
And that is why the United Nations Youth Office, the office I have the responsibility to lead launched a flagship initiative to elevate the topic of youth mental health and well being.
Our vision is bold.
We want to move from treating mental health as a clinical or as an individual concern, and we want to build systems, spaces, and communities that allow every young person to thrive.
That is why in this special year, this year of the World Cup, we want to leverage the power of football to elevate the topic of youth, mental health and well being.
Because you know it when a young person steps onto a football pitch, something changes.
We see in football an important opportunity for young people to manage stress, to regulate their emotions, an opportunity to learn, an opportunity to learn to lose, to learn to lead, and learn to build resilience and belonging.
Also, we see in football a powerful messenger, a powerful messenger to meet young people where they are and where they need us.
That is why on 17 July, just two days before the FIFA World Cup final right here in the UN, a full day event in partnership with a group of friends of football, which I thank for the support since the beginning of this idea.
We want to open the space and the doors of the United Nations to member states, to the UN entities, to civil society organizations, and also to advocates, to athletes, to practitioners, and representatives from the global sports community.
We want to really highlight the role of sports as a powerful and as a scalable and inclusive tool to promote youth mental health and well being, particularly in a world of growing global challenges where young people are suffering.
So under the banner of One World, One Game, One goal, we want to invite you to celebrate the sports and especially to celebrate football as a catalyst for youth mental health and well being.
I want them to take the chance today on this football day to invite every delegation, to invite every partner, and to invite every friend of football in this room to join us on the 17th of July.
So you can come and help us to show the world that football is not only a game, but that football is a force for mental health, for inclusion, and for peace.
Happy World Football Day and let us play and let us lead.
Thank you, M.
Thank you very much, Philippe.
And now I want you to give a real warm General Assembly youth welcome to a real football star.
It's my great privilege to introduce Stephy Jones, an outstanding player with 111 caps for the German national team.
A World Cup winner in 2003, a three time European champion.
I'm not done yet.
She later coached the German national team, and for decades has been a very strong and effective voice for inclusion and representation in the game.
Your turn.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
Madam President of the General Assembly, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, FIFA president.
I know you.
Football friends.
You know what? Football inspired me.
Because it can create belonging and foster understanding for one another.
That is exactly what we need in times of crisis, division, and maybe uncertainty.
I speak to you as someone who has experienced both sides of football.
The joy, the happiness, the unity, and the feeling that anything is possible if we as a team truly become a we.
But also the other side, exclusion, prejudice, and truly moments when being different suddenly becomes a reason to be questioned.
If I would ask here, who of you, many, or maybe felt excluded, bullied, or even discriminated once in your life, I would guess many hands would go up.
So these experience do something with us and it takes away safety and it takes away our voice and sometimes even our belief in where we belong.
That is why I say, and I truly believe people need people, especially when fear or doubt gets loud.
When that happens, community decides whether we hold together or we fall apart.
In football, respect means I recognize the dignity of other persons without conditions.
For me, values are my compass.
They help us act with humanity when pressure rises.
But they also remind us that dignity is not negotiable.
But respect is not proving by demanding it only for myself.
Respect is proven when I defend it for others.
When I do not look away, when I have the courage to speak up if someone is insulted, excluded, or dehumanized.
That takes courage, yes.
But diversity is not a gift we receive.
Diversity is a path we choose and a decision we have to make.
This message is really simple.
Lead with values and act with purpose.
Respect, dignity, and belonging are the foundation of a society.
So let World Football Day be more than a celebration.
Let it be a commitment from all of us to the dignity of every human being, to respect and to the courage to stand up for one another.
Because at the end, I would say people need people.
To, we're stronger.
Thank you very much.
Thank you very much, Beppy.
Thank you very much for those very important words.
I would like now to invite the Deputy Permanent Representative of Italy to the United Nations, Gian Luca Greco.
Thank you so much.
Thank you, Madam President, Presidentive Fantino.
First of all, I would like to I don't the jersey not because we didn't qualify.
I simply didn't find it, it's true we didn't qualify for the finals, but we do love this sport.
I is so proud to join the co chairs of the group of friends of football Bahrain Libya, Takistan and all co sponsoring member states in celebrating the World foototbl Day.
Football is one of the most universal languages where we already said it.
It crosses borders, cultures, and generations, creating connections where politics and geography sometimes create distances.
This is why Italy considers football and sport more broadly not only as a human passion, but as a powerful instrument for peace, dialogue and mutual understanding among peoples.
This conviction is at the very heart of it's engagement of the United Nations just last November, the General Assembly adopted by consensus the resolution on the Olympic Truce for the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games co sponsored by 165 members out of 193, so that's good.
That were support sent a clear message, even in a fragmented world of sport remains a raresace where humanity can still come together.
It's in the spirit that Italy is preparing together with Türkiye to host AF Euro 2032.
We see major football events not only as competitiveness, but as platforms for cooperation, people to people diplomacy, and long term partnerships among countries, institutions, and communities.
This in spirity guides our work on the ground through the RT Refugees Teams program launched by the Ital Football Federation in 2015, more than 110000 refugees and unaccopanied minors have found in football space for integration and participation.
Italy is also proud to take part in the Wafa Unity Euro Cup organized together with UNHSR.
The tournament brings together teams composed of refugees and players from their host communities competing side by side as a single national team.
These commitments also extended to grow international engagement of Italian football clubs.
Sorial clubs are investing in youth development initiatives that combine football training with education, social inclusion, and community engagement.
These efforts are part of a broader vision of sports diplomacy that the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs International Cooperation is actively promoting through several initiatives.
Also for this reason, Italy, we continue to stand alongside the group of friends of football and all partners committed to placing sport at the service of peace, inclusion, and human dignity.
I thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you very much, Ambassador.
I would like now to invite the permanent representative of Austria to the United Nations, Ambassador Greg or Wilfried Kosler.
I can't believe that we qualified and Italy didn't.
I think it's historic.
We very often we are here in the General Assembly as diplomats and to be honest, sometimes we could actually use some of the hope and happiness that President Infantino was talking about.
I have now understood what it means to include youth in such a session.
You actually get support and applause, right? No? Yes.
And we need those those of hope and happiness more than ever, as also Madam President of the General Assembly has mentioned.
I think we really need to keep the spirit of togetherness and the spirit of bringing about a good future for our youth for our next generations, and this is what it is all about.
Today is one of the happy days of celebrating World Football Day is another difficult thing.
We don't have to pass a resolution.
We don't get ts in the Security Council on that.
We can celebrate what it brings to the life of people.
It brings cooperation and teamwork.
It serves as a universal language.
It unites communities, and it promotes partnership, dialogue, and trust.
Oh, no, that's from another speech, but that's our motto.
Um, first of all, of course, football is a powerful driver for inclusion because we have just heard some, let's say sober words about it, but in a positive way, it's inclusion, it promotes gender equality.
Actually, our national female soccer team is usually more successful than our male team in Austria.
That's a good thing.
Then also, it can also prevent crime.
It can prevent extremism.
We have this initiative called Fairplay Initiative at the Vienna Institute for International Dialogue and Cooperation.
It actually does that.
It just uses the power of sport from athletes to associations, to schools, to clubs and fans to promote inclusion, to promote tolerance, and to combat extremism.
I think this is something that we can all subscribe to.
Then last point, of course, nobody has mentioned the SDGs, but actually to promote sports and football, soccer is, of course, let's say the most popular of all globally spoken.
I also promotes healthy lifestyle, it promotes mental health, which is a big issue these days.
It also promotes building confidence among young people.
All of this we need.
Then let's not forget sports and soccer also creates a lot of jobs, and this is also very, very relevant in today's life.
Basically, that's it.
I thank you very much.
Thank you very much, Ambassador.
We're now going to switch gears a little bit and hear from our colleague, Savana Dapala, who is the head of the UN Refugee Agency office here in New York, who has another ball which will make us clap.
Thank you very much Steph.
Excellency, distinguished delegates, friends, young and old.
What an honor to be here to mark Worldotball Day, given that for so many, football is so much more than a game.
For youth forced to flee and who've left everything behind, football provides a safe place to just be children.
It's a universal language that promotes the inclusion of refugees in and with host communities.
UNHCRs ports for Protection strategy uses sports, including football as a tool to protect children from abuse, improve their psychosocial well being, build skills, and keep young refugees in school.
We've developed sport partnerships and programming and use the platform of sport to advocate for refugee rights.
This is critical as we mark 75 years of the 1951 Refugee Convention, the world's collective promise to protect people forced to flee.
More than a document, it has saved millions of lives.
Leveraging the power of football to build hope and access to opportunities is one way we can contribute to that promise.
As we celebrate World Football Day and approach the World Cup, UNHCR is launching our own game, changing symbolic team of 11 footballers, representing the courage of refugees, each of whom were impacted as children by force displacement.
Like UNHCRs goodwill ambassador Alfonso Davies, who was born in a refugee camp in Ghana, resettled in Canada and who is now the captain of Canada's national football team, he has said that football gave him a sense of freedom and a sense of belonging.
Like António Rudiger, whose parents fled conflict in Sierra Leone, found safety in Germany and now plays for their national team.
I know his foundation is here with us today.
Or the extraordinary journey of our Mabil, a young man who lived in Kakuma refugee camp, resettled to Australia and now plays for CD Castellon.
Each player embodies the power of what is possible when children impacted by war at home can find safety and be welcomed in a new country.
In a minute, you will watch a short clip about the team.
However, first, it is an honor to show you a special football, which I will present shortly to the co chairs of the group of Friends of football.
This particular ball was designed by Tura, a young refugee who fled Sudan and attributes art being the one thing that helped her during her years of displacement.
Through the sale of these balls, which raises funds for lifesaving responses worldwide, refugees are telling their own stories and hoping that through the power of football, the world will better understand their struggles and also their triumphs.
And if I may, you can find more such footballs on sale at the UN gift shop.
Thank you very much and thanks, President Infantino for spreading the joy.
Thank you very much.
I think we'll now see a video on refugees in football, please.
My young boy coming from, you know, a refugee camp, you know, it just brings a smile on my face to be a captain of, you know, Canada.
Football is more than a game to me.
It gives me hope, gives me a sense of freedom.
It gives me a sense of belonging.
Every time I step on a pit, I feel free.
It's truly amazing to lead this symbolic team, you know, with the players that are on this team to have the same story and to be where they are today.
It's something, you know, speaks for itself.
It's just a great project to be in because it's personal.
If we can make it, everyone can.
And it's like going back to it, being a role model for those refugees nowadays, the younger generation, that they can make it one day.
What is the power of football? Very simple to change lives.
What impact I want my story to have to be an example for everyone out there that you can make it from nowhere to somewhere.
I hope my story brings people joy, brings people belief that anything is possible, and, you know, no matter how hard the road is, you always overcome it.
If you give refugee an opportunity to be who they are, they'll become, you know, amazing people.
Overall, I think I'm an example of that.
If we're given a chance, it can be something truly amazing.
Thank you very much.
I will ask you to please keep your eyes on the screen.
We will now hear from one of football's legendary icons, Balono winner Luis Figo with 127 caps for Portugal and his legacy on the pitched is matched by his commitment offit including his role as a former UNDP goodwill ambassador.
If you could have the video, please.
The real pleasure to join the United Nations in celebrating World Football Day.
Football is much more than a game.
It is a universal language that connects people across cultures, generations, genders, and borders.
In every corner of the world, football creates joy, builds respect, teach teamwork, and gives people, especially young people a sense of belonging and hope.
Through my career, I have seen how sport can bring people together, even in difficult moments.
A football pitch, big or small, a space for dialogue, inclusion, and mutual understanding.
It teach values that are also essential to peace and cooperation, solidarity, respect, and fair play.
Football is also a unique power to inspire people, strengthen communities, and create opportunities for education and development.
At a time when the world faces many divisions and challenges, sport reminds us that we have much more in common than what separates us.
As a Portuguese, I can say that June will be a very important month for Portugal.
We hope to have good reasons to celebrate both at the United Nations and on the football pitch.
I would like to thank the United Nations and every country supporting this initiative for recognizing the positive role football can play in building a more peaceful, united and hopeful world.
Thank you very much to all of you.
Thank you very much.
I would now ask the permanent representative of Hungary to the UN Ambassador Susana Horvath to join us, please.
Well, it is an absolute pleasure to speak after Figo because he was one of my favorite football players when I was young, right after Zadin Sudan, of course.
Excellens, distinguished colleagues, allow me to at the outset, I thank the co chairs of the group of friends of Football Day, the permanent representative of Bahrain, Tajikistan, and Libya for bringing us together today to celebrate the World Football Day.
Perhaps the only topic capable of generating consensus in this building.
For Hungary, football is far more than a game.
It is part of our national story, our identity, our culture, and occasionally also the source of intense emotional negotiations around the TV at home.
Generations of Hungarians grew up inspired by footballing legends, whose names became known far beyond our borders.
From English Laster, one of the earliest great goal scorers of European football, through the magical Golden team led by Ferentz Pushksh, Nandor Hidekuy, and Chandor Kochish.
Hungarian football has left a lasting mark on the history of the sport.
We also proudly remember Florian Albert, Hungary's only Balonor winner, whose elegance and sportsmanship earned him admiration around the world.
Hungary's contribution to football extends well beyond these true iconic players.
The tactical innovations of the golden team, such as fluid positional play, and the role of Nandor Hideky which many today would recognize as the false nine helped shape the modern game itself.
In shaping the game, Hungary also gave the sport such legendary coaches as Billa Gutman and Gustav Sabesh whose influence continues to be felt across generations.
This story continues today with a new generation represented by players such as Dominick Sobosle whose talent, leadership, and international success inspire young people across Hungary and beyond week after week.
We are equally proud of the continued development of women's football in Hungary, including the growing presence of Hungarian women players and clubs in European competitions, reflecting the truly inclusive spirit of the sport.
Excellencies, it is also particularly meaningful that this celebration takes place on 19 May, which incidentally, but fittingly, is also the World Fair Play Day, proclaimed by the GA through Resolution 78 slash 310 championed by Hungary.
Few sports embody the ideals of fair play more visibly than football.
Respect for the rules, respect for one another, teamwork, solidarity and dignity in both victory and defeat are values that matter not only on the pitch, but also in international relations and in the work of this organization.
Football unites communities across cultures, languages, and continents.
At the same time, our world often appears divided.
The simple truth remains powerful and worth celebrating.
If football teaches us anything, it is that even after a difficult first half, there is always hope for a better second one.
I thank you.
Thank you very much, Ambassador.
Thank you.
I'll ask the permanent representative of the Republic of Rwanda, Ambassador Corey Martin Egga to join us, please.
Madam President of the General Assembly, President of FIFA, John Infantino.
I didn't find the shirt, my colleagues took all of them, but had to remove my tie to join the celebratory mode in the room.
Excellence colleagues, Rwanda is pleased to co host this event and to contribute to today's discussion on the transformative power of sports.
In Rwanda, we understand deeply that sport is far more than a competition.
It is a force for healing, unity and peace.
This belief is reflected even in one of our national landmarks, Amohro Stadium.
In Kinyarwanda, A Maharo means peace.
The name is intentional.
It reflects our conviction that peace is not built only in the conference rooms or through agreements, but also in the communities, on playing fields, and among young people who learn to compete with respect and live together with dignity.
Rwanda is a country that emerged from the tragedy of 1994 genocide against the Tutsi.
And we know very well the importance of rebuilding trust, restoring social cohesion, and creating opportunities for a new generation.
Sports, football being one of them, has been a part of our reconstruction and reconciliation process.
Across our hills, villages and schools, football and the other sports have helped reconnect the communities, restore confidence, and inspire hope where despair once existed.
On this firm belief, Rwanda hosts Sudan's football clubs in our own National League, where they continue to participate in local and international tournaments.
Today, Rwanda continues to invest in sports, not as a luxury, but as a strategic tool for development and peace building.
We have used sports to strengthen our national unity.
Have used football and other sports to empower women and youth.
We have positioned sports as a driver of economic growth, tourism innovation, and international partnerships.
Excellencies, at a time when divisions are deepening across the world and the trust between nations is under strain, football and other sports remain one of the few universal languages capable of bringing people together.
A football match, a marathon, or a basketball tournament can create connections where politics sometimes they cannot.
Sports lowers barriers, promotes dialogue, and reminds us of our shared humanity.
This is why Rwanda believes that the international community should treat sports as an instrument of peace building and preventive diplomacy.
Our commitment is reflected in some actions.
Rwanda hosts one of FIFA's regional development offices.
Rwanda Pude hosts the basketball Africa League, helping position Africa as a growing center of global sports.
We have invested in modern facilities which bring together athletes and younger people from across the continent.
We continue to support initiatives that provide vulnerable youth, including those affected by conflict and displacement with opportunity, mentorship, and hope through football and other sports.
We remain committed to ensuring that women and girls have equal access to leadership and opportunity in the sporting world.
Excellence, colleagues, to fully unlock its transformative power, sports must remain inclusive, accessible, and unifying.
We must invest in equal opportunities for all nations, particularly developing countries that continue to face barriers in infrastructure, financing, and visibility.
At the same time, we must preserve the neutrality of sports and it's a convening power for unity.
Sports should bring people together, expand opportunities, advance the sustainable development goals, and build bridges across communities and nations and not deepen divisions.
Finally excellencies, Rwanda's journey reminds us that peace is built step by step, community by community and sometimes game by game.
Sports can heal where wounds remain, it can unite where history has divided.
It can inspire where hope is fading.
Together, let us invest not only in football and the other sports, But in its extraordinary power to bring humanity together.
I thank you for your attention.
Thank you very much.
And I can tell you that Germany came prepared to this meeting because we don't have not one but two football stars from Germany to speak with us in person.
So it's my real honor to introduce Gerald Asamoa who played in two World Cups for the Maschft and won the German Cup twice with Salka 04.
And Gerald now leads a foundation supporting children with heart diseases, a cause he knows very well personally, and the foundation funds and organizes medical missions around the world, including in his native Ghana.
So Gerald, please, welcome.
Good afternoon.
First of all, I wanted to just speak like that.
I didn't have people's papers with me.
Then I saw everybody come with peoples, so I said, I need to change, and I started writing my speech.
First of all, good day.
My name is Ga Samoa and football changed my life.
I came to Germany when I was 12 years.
I joined my parents who left us when I was three in Ghana and I joined my parents was 12 years.
I came to a country in Germany.
I didn't know nothing really speak a language.
I didn't even know what kind of food the Germans eat.
Then I went to the school.
And the school was really hard for me, not speaking the language, and it was my first time hearing the N word.
But what should I say? Football is something special for me because on the outside at the break, I started playing with my schoolmate and I saw, okay, this black guy can play soccer, so I was accepted at the first time.
Then it was really football helped me.
He gave me acceptance.
I was really accepted.
And then what should I say? I think football is like if you're on a pitch, nobody asks you where you come from.
Nobody if it doesn't matter if you are black, white, you are just accepted because people know you can play soccer and that's what helped me out.
And then I Let me say it again.
When I came to Germany, it was my first time playing with football shoes.
I didn't play before then, Ghan, I didn't play with football shoes.
So this experience was everything new for me.
And then I became with 17 17, a professional player.
I had one of my worst experience in court balls.
We have a relegation game where I was thrown the first with banana, that was insulting me and I was to that time 18 years and it was one of the worsterner experience.
But what should I say, Foball football football helped me football gave me everything and I I keeps on believing what I'm doing.
2001, I became the first black who played for Germany.
I know it was not easy because it was like my dad wanted to see him in Ghana, but I felt accepted at the end in Germany, so I chose to pray for Germany.
To know I know not everybody will be accepted seeing a black guy wearing a German jersey.
At the end, I hurt my heart and it was one of the best decision I take.
I said football had super power.
He gave me the power to overcome every negative thing when I got in Germany or anywhere I went, people should give me the respect.
Let me tell you this story.
After my first appearance for Germany national team, I think months ago, I was on the street and I think, let me be honest, more than 40 years he came, went to me and say, Hey, right, I thank you for what you've done.
He said, what I have done, I'm accepted at my workplace.
People call me as some.
This is what football can do in this world.
It was nice hearing from this guy, what kind of experience he have.
Let's look at Germany.
When I decided to play for Germany, I didn't know what kind of door I'm opening.
Now, if you see the German national team, I think now you see António is playing for German national team.
B team play for German nationality.
There are so many people who play for German, they don't think about anymore because I opened doors for them.
Racism was a part of our life, but now we accept it and people just take the decision to play for Germany and football can connect football, give us many things and I'm so thankful to play this soccer football united give you respect.
It gave me a home where I belong to and That's what I want to say.
Football is everything for me, and I don't want to talk to him because after then we have a game, I think we have a game outside and I don't know if I don't know if I'm join the Germans, I'm joining Africans, but we shall see outside and I've seen.
Yeah.
But my last word is football connect people, really connect with.
I have the experience.
Football gave me hope, football gave me a home.
And now I'm so grateful standing here and football give me the chance to stand in for everybody to speak at the UN.
It's Hanna and I don't know what to say.
I'm the small boy, the guy from Mampon, Ghana, and now have the chance to stand here.
I just want to thank you for everything, and let's talk to okay.
Thank you very much, Carol.
Thank you.
Thank you very much for those very, very inspiring words.
I We now have another Portuguese football star, and that is Nuno Gomez, who will be on screen.
As you know, Nuno represented Portugal with distinction for over a decade and was well known, especially for playing for Benfica.
Today, he continues to champion the positive role of football through youth and community initiatives that promote inclusion and opportunity.
So please turn your attention to the screen.
Hello, everyone.
It is a pleasure to join the United Nations in celebrating the World Football Day.
Football is one of the few things in the world that can truly bring everyone together.
Doesn't matter where you come from, what language you speak, what is your background, Ftball unites the world.
Throughout my career, I have experienced that connection everywhere in the stadiums, in the training grounds, in schools, or in the communities.
Football creates belonging.
It gives young people confidence, teach responsibility, and encourage respect for others.
Very often, it also creates hope where it is most needed.
That is why initiatives like this at the United Nations are so important.
Sport is not only entertainment.
It is also to support education, inclusion, mental health, gender equality, and dialogue between communities.
Football has a unique capacity to connect people around positive values and common goals.
At the time when the world faced conflict, division, and uncertainty, football reminds us of something simple but powerful.
We achieve more when we play together rather than against each other.
For Portugal, the weeks ahead will also carry special meaning, both in football and in our engagement at the United Nations.
I believe they are a good reminder of how much can be achieved through teamwork, ambition, and international cooperation.
I would like to thank the United Nations and all the partners involved for continuing to recognize the positive contribution that sport can make to peace, to development, and to international cooperations.
Thank you very much.
Thank you very much.
It's my great pleasure to introduce a permanent representative of Bahrain.
Yes, sir, that would be you.
As you know, Bahrain is the third co sponsor of the UN Friends of Football, please welcome Ambassador Jamal Ferris Al Rwai.
Thank you very much, Stephan.
Excellencies, dear colleague, it's a special day today to be here and this champer with the President of General Assembly, and Elena Burbck and also with the President of FIFA, also here and also the Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs and UNHCR.
As well to all partners and co sponsors and participants for their valuable support and contributions.
Thank you very much for being with us today on the World Football Day.
I also wish to warmly acknowledge the distinguished Stars players who join us today, whose presence truly embodies the spirit of the game.
Excellencies, today we celebrated for far more than a sport.
We heard the powerful stories from refugees, from youth, and from star players, each reflecting on how football has united lives, restored hope, and create opportunities across different realities.
Football is a universal language.
It brings people together across borders, cultures, and generations, reminding us of the values we share, respect, teamwork, solidarity, and fair play.
In a world facing growing challenges, such moments of unity are more important than ever.
Football reminds us that even in diversity, we can move forward together.
The continued momentum behind World Football Day reflects the international community recognition of a sport as a meaningful tool for peace, inclusion, and sustainable development.
In this spirit, the group of friends of football remained committed to harnessing the power of sports in support of purposes and principle of the United Nations Charter.
Let us continue to build bridges, inspire hope and create opportunities for all both on and off the field.
On behalf of Tajihstan, Libya, Bahrain, I wish to thank you all for all your support and being with us today.
Thank you again.
Thank you very much, Ambassador.
Thank you.
We will now have a number of speakers from the floor.
Now, I would ask for your indulgence because after this, we have a game and we have a barbecue.
So if you wish to make your statements a bit shorter than you had planned, I think that would be welcome.
So we will now go to Kyrgyzstan and the permanent representative, Aida Kasymalieva.
Thank you, Chair.
Distinguished President, Excellencies, Distinguished delegates.
Kyrgyzstan is honored to join the international community in commemorating World Football Day.
We comment on the efforts of Tajikistan, Bahrain, Libya in advancing this important initiative and recognizing football as a universal language of peace, solidarity, and friendship.
As the world prepares the FIFA World Cup, we are reminded once again that football connect billions of people across the culture, religious, and borders.
Few global events demonstrate so clearly the unifying power of sport and its ability to promote mutual understanding and peace.
Football also contributes directly to the implementation of SDGs, including the areas of health, education, gender equality, inclusion, and peace building.
In a world facing growing division, tension in football reminds us that teamwork, fairness, and solidarity remains universal values.
The national level, Kyrgyzstan is implementing ambitious football development program aiming to modernizing infrastructure, expanding grassroots footballs and increasing access to sport throughout the country.
Major infrastructure transformation in football are progressing at a pace across the country.
Stadium football pitches and the football facilities are being renovated and newly constructed nationwide.
These investments are not only about the sport.
They are investment in human potential, social cohesion, and economic development.
Modern sports infrastructure creates jobs, stimulates tourism, supports local businesses, and open new opportunities for young people.
We also continue to strengthen regional cooperation through football, together with our neighbors in Central Asia, Kyrgyzstan supports initiatives aimed to bring a major international football competition to our region for the first time.
On this world Football day, the Kyrgyzstan reaffirms its commitments to promoting sports as a force for the sustainable development, friendship, and peace among the nation.
I thank you.
Thank you very much.
We will now go to Checha please.
Cheia.
Well, thank you, Madam President, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, all the children in the room, and most importantly, all the football fans.
What an honor it is to be here with all of you today.
On World Fotball Day, the Czech Republic is delighted to join the Global football family in celebrating this beautiful game, a sport that unites, inspires, and uplifts people all around the world.
To our American friends, the hosts of the UN headquarters, it is football, not soccer, just so we are perfectly clear on that point.
Whatever one chooses to call it though, what truly matters is the feeling the thrill of the ball gliding across a green pitch, the roar of the crowd that shared electric joy when our team finds the back of the net.
Football crosses borders, it connects cultures, it brings generations together and at a risk of a small heresy in this building, it is one of the few pursuits in which 90 minutes can produce a clearer outcome than 90 days of negotiation.
From schools to local clubs, football inspires people to move, to belong, and to dream.
For us Czechs and for football fans all over the world, one such unforgettable moment came in the final of the 1976 European championship when the great António Panenka cheekily chipped his penalty straight down the middle of the goal to clinch the title for Czechoslovakia.
50 years on, the trick still bears his name.
But football is more than a game.
It is a powerful force for good.
That is why there must be no place in football for violence, racism, discrimination, or hatred.
Not on the pitch, not in the stands, not in our communities.
Safety, dignity and respect must always come first.
It is a message we should all embrace and promote here at the United Nations, in our countries, and in our communities.
Madam President, on this World Football Day, let us ensure that football continues to unite, inspire, and uplift people everywhere today and for generations to come.
I thank you.
Thank you very much, Ambassador.
I now turn to the reigning World Cup champions, Argentina.
Good afternoon, everyone.
Thank you, Mr.
President, Madam President of the General Assembly.
Dear colleagues and lovers of the football, thank you for inviting me to commemorate this International football Day, dear friends.
In Argentina, football is a way of life.
It is a tradition, a passion, and a fundamental part of our national identity.
From the street of Buenos Aires to the smallest town in Patagonia or the North, football is present in everyday life.
Children grow up playing with the ball in parks, school, and neighborhoods, dreaming of becoming the next Maradona or Messi.
Football all over has a deep social meaning.
It brings people together regardless of the age, social class, or political preferences.
Families and friends gather to play or support their club, to celebrate victories or to share emotions.
In difficult moment of the history, football has often given people hope, joy, and a sense of unity.
In Argentina, football has shaped our music, our language, and even the way we express ourselves.
The great legendary Argentinian players who printed the three stars in our national football jersey are not only sports icons, but symbols of creativity, resilience, and national pride.
Their stories inspire millions of people around the world.
Football also create jobs, supports local businesses, attract tourism, and generates international recognition.
Players and coaches are respected globally and football clubs continue to produce extraordinary talent.
One of the most emotional moments in recent Argentine history was winning the FIFA Word Cup in Qatar in 2022.
That victory unite the entire nation in celebration.
Millions of people filled the streets with joy, waving flags, singing together and sharing an unforgettable moment and happy moment.
It reminds us the incredible power of ports to connect people.
As the CA World champion, as you said, we look forward to the final title this year.
We are willing to see the World Cup of Canada, Mexico, and the US as a meeting point for all nations, cultures, and peoples, a celebration of respect, friendship, and peace through sport.
It is also the opportunity to underline that we are here today in this place to promote a green peace.
Football belong to all of us and has the unique ability to unite humanity and that is perhaps his greatest victory.
I thank you.
Thank you very much, Ambassador.
We will now go to Nigeria.
Thank you.
Your Excellencies, let me stand on the existing protocol, greetings to the President of the General Assembly and the President of Viva.
These two convey greetings from President Bola Hamad, the President of Nigeria.
We're excited to be here and to join the entire world in this very significant day of the W Football Day.
Nigeria is the most successful nation in the history of Viva.
We won the Golden Cup across the world for 2017.
In 1985, we won in China, in 1993, we won in Japan.
In 2007, we won in South Korea, 2013, we won in the AUE and then of course, in 2015, we won in Chile.
For Viva U 20, we also won the World Cup in 1989 in Saudi Arabia and 2005 in Nntherand.
So to President Tobu is an exciting period because the next to our currency in Nigeria is football.
It unites our diversity and brings out across the nation and bring forth development that unites us across Africa.
And it's quite significant that we celebrate today.
On behalf of Mr.
President, Madam President of the General Assembly, we wish you and the entire system a happy World Football Day.
Thank you.
Thank you very much, Ambassador for those remarks.
We will now go to Morocco.
Thank you.
Excellency, distinguished guests, Morocco joins the international community in celebrating this word football Day.
Thank you, Bahrain, Libya, and Tajikistan, co chairs of the Group of Friends Football for this successful initiative.
Thank you, Madam President of the General Assembly and also among us, Mr.
Gianni Infantino, president of the FFA for the introductory remarks.
Excellence is football has been set before me and everyone knows is a universal language.
It does not need words to be understood across continents, between generations, only feelings and emotions are needed to celebrate football.
No other sport brings together so many people around a shared passion, a shared hope, a shared belief, and shared sense of belonging.
6 billion people watch football, an opportunity to circulate messages of peace, respect, acceptance, and mutual understanding.
It is in this period that Morocco is honored to be co hosting the next edition, 2030 FIFA World Cup alongside Portugal and Spain, which will mark 100 years since the very first World Cup held in Uruguay in 1930.
This shows that football should represent the power of uniting neighbors, deepening cooperation among friends and celebrating a common passion across continents.
We look forward with great excitement to the upcoming World Cup, which the United States, Mexico, and Canada will host in just a couple of weeks.
We extend our warmest congratulations to the three nations.
Just Mr.
Chair, to conclude, I want to underline that Morocco has never been afraid of challenges.
Our first match at this World Cup is with Brazil.
Five times World Cup champion.
But we do believe.
Let's go a dim Marin.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
And we will now go to the first country to ever host the World Cup, and that is Uruguay.
Thank you.
Thank you for the co chairs, Bahrain, Libya, and Tazakistan and of course, to the group of friends.
Thank you also for the president of the PGA and the ASG of Youth and also to all our colleagues.
Of course, to Mr.
Infantino.
I think he has summarized very well what means the football, the simplicity in our hurts.
I come from a country that has been mentioned for other countries of my region is feeling from hurt.
Football is a passion.
It's not only a sport.
We think also present is a connection between people, inclusion, and the coexistence of collectivity identify.
For Uruguay, this commemoration hold historical significance.
Our country, as we mentioned, was the first host of FIFA W Cup in 1930 and that event forever marked our history and establish a soccer as a global cultural expression capable of United Nations across border.
Soccer is our essence and national identity.
It is depressing, as I've been said in the street.
We want that sport and that spirit also that we have seen here in this room prolongs to bring more happy to everyone.
And those thousand homes that are watching TV in not easy times, whether the makeshift neighborhood or packing stadium, soccer unite children, youth and adults and shared passion and shared dream.
It's also a tool of integration, transmitting fundamental values such as respect, teamwork and severance.
In this time of the division, a global change sport and soccer in particular continue to demonstrate its unique ability to bring societies together, build bridges and create spaces for hope and mutual understanding.
Your work also reaffirmed the importance of promoting sport that accessible, inclusive, and safe for everyone, encouraging the participation of women, girls, and young people, as well, the eradication forms discrimination, violence, and intolerable sport in the sporting arena.
The celebration of this International Day also take special significance for us in the light of the 2030 World Cup, who Centennial will once future in South America and you as part of the shared history that began 100 years ago in Montevideo.
Finally, that very special day, Uruguay wish to express its appreciation and support for our national team and symbol of effort, identity, and pride and cheering Uruguayan people.
We wish them the greatest success in the challenges that are coming and the matches, of course.
We continue to support the lag Ra.
We bring, as the ambassador of Germany said before, it's the first time I use this T shirt in the UN.
I used it before as a consult representing the country, but I'm very proud to use it today and see you in the field, guys.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
We still have a number of speakers left before we actually get to the field.
Again, if you want to edit down your remarks, that would be appreciated, we will now go to Paraguay, please.
Thank you.
Yeah.
There we go.
Thank you, Mr.
Chair.
Thank you, colleagues.
Thank you so much to the organizers for bringing us here today.
Colleagues, as you all well know, this podium has been long known for mentioning Syria's name in the light of injustice and the suffering that it has been going through.
Today, however, the mere fact that Syria is speaking on World Football Day is in itself evidence that Syria has begun to return to its natural place amongst nations.
The people who used to chant in the streets in pursuit of freedom against the former regime are today chanting in stadiums in support of their teams.
The Syrian children who used to run escaping shelling and detention under the former regime are today, despite the challenges posed by the presence of land mines and destructions, running after a ball.
No longer is there joy and sorrow linked to the joy of surviving a shelling or the sorrow of losing a loved one in prison.
The joy and sorrow of most of them have become linked to the victory or defeat of their teams.
This transformation is the fruit of the great sacrifices paid by Syrian men and women to liberate their country and reclaim their right to normal life.
May they never lose it again.
Colleagues, just as I hear often from my colleagues here in the UN, that the Syrian people surprised the world during the past months, we are confident that our national team will also surprise the world in the upcoming matches and competitions and will secure a place for the new Syria in the upcoming World Cup.
They carry the name of Mount Kasun, the mount overlooking Damascus, which stood steadfast through the hardest of times, and even if it took some time, emerged victorious.
Mr.
Chair, until such time begins again where the national team resumes winning, for now, the Syrian people can proudly say we have won our country back.
Thank you.
Ambassador Olavii, thank you very much for those remarks.
We will now go to the Russian Federation.
Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, President of FIFA young football players, sports, especially football is a powerful force for promoting unity, tolerance, social cohesion.
Beyond competition, sports creates a unique space where people of different backgrounds can interact on equal terms, overcome negative stereotypes and build mutual respect.
It helps realize their potential and provides universal platforms to combat discrimination and to strengthen social cohesion.
The FFR Cup, 2018 in Russia brought together 32 national teams and reached billions of viewers worldwide, serving as a powerful illustration of how sport can unite people across borders.
Before the event, a negative information campaign was launched in a number of biased media.
However, it was instantly dispelled during the tournament as visitors highly praise the spectacular stadiums, tight security, friendly atmosphere, and affordable travel.
Football is a powerful tool of fighting disinformation.
Just give it a chance.
Russia also demonstrates of how sport can support social integration at the local level.
In cities such as Moscow and St.
Petersburg, initiatives have been developed to involve migrant communities in organized sports, particularly football tournaments that bring together participants from diverse ethnic and national backgrounds.
These programs are supported by sports authorities and civil society organizations and aim to ensure equal access to sports, infrastructure, and opportunities for participation.
A concrete example is a migrant football league, also known as the KG League, established by migrants from Kyrgyzstan in Russia.
It provides a structured platform where migrant workers can form teams, participate in regular tournaments, and build community ties.
Overall, such initiatives demonstrate that sport can be a powerful instrument for integration, social harmony, and the development of human potential regardless of origin or cultural background.
It is essential to preserve the autonomy of sport and protect it from political instrumentalization.
Russian athletes continue to face restrictions on their ability to participate in competitions, not for the reasons of fair competition, but positive developments are on the way.
Sport must be space for dialogue, peace, and mutual understanding, bringing people together rather than dividing them.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
We will now go to Mexico, one of the co hosts of the upcoming World Cup.
Thank you, Chair, President of General Assembly and Elena Burbach, President of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, group of friends, thank you for the invitation.
This year commemoration carries particular significance for Mexico.
In just a few weeks, my country will once again welcome the world as hosts of the FIFA World Cup 2026, becoming the first nation in history to host the tournament for a third time in just 60 years.
That distinction is not a coincidence.
Mexico has a longstanding tradition of opening its doors to the sports world with warmth, professionalism and generosity.
Few countries understand the emotional and cultural dimension of football the way Mexico does.
The experiences of 1970 and 1986 have left on the label mark on football history and on generations of fans across the globe.
Mexico is proud to host this historic tournament alongside Canada and the United States making the first FIFA World Cup shared by three countries and by one trading bloc.
These demonstrates how sport and trade can strengthen regional ties and economic competitiveness.
As President of Mexico Claude Sinban has also emphasized, Mexico sees the World Cup as an opportunity to showcase our country's cultural heritage, diversity, hospitality, and to leave meaningful and lasting benefits for communities across the nation.
The World Cup excites all Mexicans.
It is an opportunity for the entire country to participate in a global celebration that reflects the creativity, warmth and resilience of our people.
It also attracts attention to the entire international community.
Football belongs to all of us.
We hope this tournament will contribute to strengthening friendship, understanding, and cooperation among all nations.
In preparation for the arrival of millions of visitors, Mexico has strengthened coordination across all levels of government to advance infrastructure, public safety, and urban development efforts ahead of the tournament.
Mexico is ready to welcome the world with open arms as it has done time and time again.
As the Rwaian writer Eduardo Eleano once claimed, football is a living narrative of societies capable of capturing joy, struggle, and belonging in a single moment.
Mexico is honored to contribute once again to that global story.
Thank you very much, Mr.
Chairman.
Thank you very much to the representative of Mexico.
We will now go to Colombia.
Colombia.
We will move on to Indonesia, please, then.
Excellencies, football fans, future leaders, allow me commend Bahrain, Tajikistan, and Libya for these initiatives.
It's great to be in this hall with such an energy.
As a global sport, football carries a transformative power that unites people across cultures, borders, and generations, fostering mutual understanding, solidarity, and peace.
Inspired by football's power to unite and empower communities and with 180 million fans throughout Indonesia, we continue to promote football as a platform for youth empowerment and peace building.
Earlier this year, we launched a community based initiative called Uniliq Play for Peace.
It's a youth led sport for development initiative that promotes mental health awareness, peace building, and youth leadership through football.
As part of the UN Youth Office global campaign on football for mental health, this initiative engaged youth to not only compete on the field, but also learn leadership, self development, mental health, and resilience in a fun way.
In doing so, they are empowered not only to contribute to development, but also become agents of peace within their communities by promoting teamworks empathy, mutual respect, and solidarity.
Currently, 17 universities participating with more than 10,000 young people across Indonesia, reflecting the growing role of youth as future leaders and partners for peace.
To conclude, let this World Football Day remind us that we are all on the same team, playing together towards the shared goal of building a world that's more peaceful and prosperous for all.
Happy World Football Day, 2026.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
We will now move to Ukraine.
Thank you, Excellency, distinguished delegates.
First of all, I would like to thank the permanent missions of Bahrain, Libya, and Tajikistan and all the co sponsors for organizing this important event.
Football unites people across borders, languages and cultures.
It creates a sense of community, identity, and shared emotion for millions around the world.
But football cannot develop in full fledged manner when your country is under attack.
Ukraine has lived through the reality when significant number of football facilities have been damaged.
Ukrainian athletes and coaches have lost their lives because of Russia's war of aggression.
Ukrainian football clubs as well as Ukrainian national team have already spent five consecutive seasons unable to play international matches at their home stadiums.
And yet, despite the war, football in Ukraine continues to play an important role in maintaining our spirit.
Boys and girls across Ukraine, despite all go to training sessions, still gather on football pitches and still dream about the future.
For many children, football provides at least a small sense of normal childhood in reality shaped by air raid, sirens, displacement, and uncertainty.
Football teaches values that matter far beyond the stadium, respect, teamwork, fair play, and solidarity.
These principles should guide not only sport but also international relations.
Those who violate these principles through acts of aggression should be shown a straight red card and suspended from international competitions until the aggression ceases and international law is fully restored.
We celebrate World Fotball Day, we should remember that peace means people being able to play safely, means stadiums full of fans instead of destruction.
Peace means clubs being able to play at home again.
This is what we should continue to defend together here at the UN and beyond.
Happy Football Day.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
We will now go to France.
Mr.
Cid, Excellencies, colleagues, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to all the co organizer of the third International Foball Day behind Libya, Tajikistan, all the co organizer.
Well the FFA Men World Cup will be opening in a few weeks in Mexico City and we are looking forward to cheering for our national teams competing in Mexico, the United States, and Canada.
This day gives us an opportunity to celebrate the values of football and sports in general.
The bonds between France and international football competitions are historic.
Frenchman Remy, the first FIFA president was instrumental in the creation of the World Cup in 1930, and the date chosen for the celebration of the World foototball Day, May 25th, was to mark the first intercontinental football tournament in history held 102 years ago during the Paris 1924 Olympic Games.
With more than 2.3 million players registered by the French Federation, among them more than 250,000 women, having hosted two men's World Cup as well as a 2019 Women's World Cup, France loves football.
Dare I say it, having won two world cups in the last 30 years and in four of the last seven World Cup finals, football also seems to have grown fond of friends.
But besides being a celebration of the beautiful game that we all love, football, like all sports is a catalyst for peace, for gender equality, for international cooperation, for the implementation of the sustainable development goals, and for multilateralism.
This is why France is investing in sport and is committed to leveraging this powerful tool both as a national and international cooperation and since 2019 has supported more than 400 projects in over 50 countries in partnership with key sports institutions like FIFA, private sector, and philanthropic institutions.
France is also proud to host the 2026 Special Olympic Unified Football World Cup 2026 in Paris, bringing together more than 300 athletes from around the world for a celebration of inclusion, unity and sport, a much more modest event than the FIFA World Cup, but one with a powerful human impact.
We wish the best of luck to the 48 national teams which will participate in the upcoming World Cup and to all of us, a very happy Wlotball Day.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
We will now go to Georgia, please, Georgia.
Excellencies, distinguished delegates, FIFA president, and football fans.
It is a real delight and privilege to celebrate World Football Day here with so many friends and colleagues and it is especially fitting that we do so in New York, a city that in just a few days will become the beating heart of the global football celebration, FIFA World Cup 2026.
Today, we mark more than a century since the first international football tournament united all regions of the world.
This year, it's significant that a record number of teams will participate in what has become the most universal sporting event in human history, which is a testament to the enduring power of the beautiful game that transcends borders, cultures, and generations.
This phenomenon is on a clear display in my home country, Georgia, where football is far more than a sport.
It is a source of national pride, unity, and pure joy.
We still vividly remember the scenes in our capital Tilisi when Georgia qualified for UFA Euro 2024 for the first time in our history.
This historic milestone was followed by a performance that captivated the world and filled our nation with pride.
While our team did not qualify well along with Italy for this year's FIFA World Cup, we will cheer the beautiful game with full hearts and celebrate this global festival.
We note with particular pride that football commentators around the world agree that arguably the best winger on the planet, Georgia's national treasure, and PhG forward, Tjvra Scalia, will be the tournament's most talked about absence.
It is precisely through Kar Val's dedication and there of his Georgian teammates that Georgia's youth sees living proof that hard work can transform even the boldest dreams into reality.
It is with that same spirit that we look forward to co hosting the FIFA under 20 World Cup in 2029 alongside our neighbor Armenia and welcoming football loving nations to our beautiful region for the first time.
Dear friends, the values at the heart of football, respect, teamwork, and fairness are the very same values that guide our work here at the United Nations.
We hope that every match played and their goal scored will bring us one step closer to a more just, united and peaceful world, happy world football Day.
Thank you very much.
We will now go to Israel, please.
Israel.
Thank you, Excellencies, colleagues and football fans.
Football is the ultimate global celebration.
It is a language of hope and human connection that crosses every border.
In Israel, football is a national passion.
It is our most popular sport bringing together Israelis of all backgrounds and all faiths.
As we celebrate this beautiful game and look forward to the World Cup, we also share a duty to protect it.
A stadium should always be a sanctuary of joy which brings people together.
Unfortunately, global sports monitoring data shows that anti Semitism still surfaces within stadiums worldwide.
We cannot accept this as part of the game.
Israel stands firmly with the international sports community in declaring there is no room for anti Semitism or any type of hate in football.
Through education, community engagement, and clear enforcement, we must ensure that global football family remains united in every field from children playing in their neighborhoods and school yards to local and national tournaments and all the way to World Cup arenas.
Inclusion also means ensuring that everyone has an equal opportunity to play, lead, and inspire.
Football cannot be global if women and girls are left on the sidelines.
In Israel, we are deeply committed to breaking down barriers for women and girls in football and this vision is championed by Athena, Israel's National Council for Promoting women's sports.
Athena has transformed the athletic landscape by creating equal opportunities for young girls and women in sports, supporting thousands of female athletes nationwide, establishing women's clubs and leagues across many sports, boosting our national women's Premier League and planning for the future by building the next generation of female athletes.
Working to ensure the future of football is equal.
That said, inclusion should be evident in every part of the game.
Israel is incredibly proud to share a truly historic global milestone of Israeli referee Sapir Berman, who in 2021, became the first openly transgender referee to officiate in any country's top tier professional football league, our very own Premier League.
Facing stadium crowds with unmatched professionalism, Sapir proves that skills and true love for the game are the only things matter.
Her journey broke barriers and opened the stadium doors wider for everyone everywhere.
Dear friends, we join today in celebration of the game we all love.
I thank you.
Thank you very much.
We now go to the State of Palestine.
Thank you.
Excellencies, distinguished delegates and guests.
It is a great honor for the state of Palestine to participate in today's commemoration of World Fotball Day and we express our gratitude to the permanent missions of Bahrain, Libya, and Tajikistan, as well as all the other co sponsors for their continued efforts in promoting World Football Day.
Football is not only a game.
It is a powerful expression of passion, resilience, unity, and determination.
Countries and peoples across the world share different cultures and speak different languages.
But when it comes to football, only one language is spoken on the pitch.
It is the world's most popular sport and directly contributes to development through solidarity, social empowerment, cooperation, and inclusion.
The 2030 agenda has recognized the growing contribution of sport to the realization of development and peace in its promotion of tolerance and respect and the contributions it makes to the empowerment of women and of young people, individuals and communities, as well as to health, education, and social inclusion objectives.
Excellencies.
In Palestine, The odds are always stacked against us, whether it is the Israeli bombardment of football pitches and stadiums, the killing of hundreds of athletes and football players, or the severe restrictions imposed on movement and participation in sporting activities.
Football remains an inseparable part of Palestinian life, identity, and values.
The world sees children and youth in Gaza Still playing football amidst the destruction to create a sense of normalcy in a reality that is starkly far from normal.
Mountains of rubble have been cleared simply for football matches to take place as a source of psychological and mental health support.
Football tournaments continue to be organized, including by persons with disabilities, refusing to let crutches prevent them from playing their favorite game.
Our national team, despite the immense challenges inflicted by the occupation, has brought much needed moments of solidarity and pride during the darkest chapters of our people's history.
As for the first time, the Palestine national team advanced in the knockout to the knockout stage of the AFC Agent Cup in 2023 and to the quarter finals of the FIFA Arab Cup in 2025.
These are just a few examples of how football in Palestine teaches overcoming, it teaches determination, resilience, and it teaches accountability.
We must translate these principles on and off the field through solidarity and collective action to ensure that football and support and sport remain grounded in development, cooperation, dignity and respect for all.
The state of Palestine renews its commitment to the promotion of football as a unifying universal force that bridges cultures, builds communities, and connects generations.
I thank you and I wish you all a happy World Football Day.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
We will now move on to our last two speakers.
First, Pakistan, Pakistan, please.
Thank you very much.
President of the General Assembly, President FFA, ladies and gentlemen, all protocols observed, we welcome the organization of this event today.
It is undoubtedly a testament to how sports bring together people from different nationalities and makes valuable contribution to health, peace, and solidarity.
Football, by virtue of its popularity, serves as a universal language spoken across the globe, cutting across national and cultural barriers, providing an essential platform to converge and promote mutual understanding, tolerance, respect, and solidarity.
While Pakistanis are perhaps not as skilled in playing football, our sporting prowess lies elsewhere.
Pakistanis are great admirers and aficionados of the game.
More importantly, Pakistan has consistently been making its own unique contribution to the sport by being one of the biggest exporters of world footballs.
Pakistan produces finest hand staged footballs, producing roughly 70% of the global football supply.
Our football manufacturing is a source of national pride.
We have produced the official match football used in all FIFA World Cups since 2014.
We are also the official supplier of the football that will be used during the 2026 World Cup.
Our PR will be honored to present two of these footballs to the organizers of the tournament outside in the North Lawn shortly.
I wish everyone a very happy football day.
Thank you very much.
Thank you very much, sir.
Now we go to Tunisia, which is our last speaker, Tunisia.
Thank you so much.
On this World Football Day, we celebrate more than a sport.
Football is a universal language that unites people across borders, cultures, and generations.
It inspires passion, resilience, teamwork, and hope.
Tunisia takes great pride in the achievements of its national team on the world stage.
The performances of the Tunisian team at the FIFA World Cup remains a source of pride and inspiration for generations of young Tunisians.
Tunisian women and girls are also increasingly making their mark in football, proving every day that talent, passion, and determination, no gender.
Sport also carries a powerful message of peace.
It brings people together beyond differences, creates dialogue where division exists and reminds us of our shared humanity and stadiums, on playgrounds and across communities.
Sport continues to build bridges of respect, solidarity, and understanding among peoples and nations.
Here at the United Nations, where we spend our days negotiating and debating Football remains one of the rare moments when diplomats suddenly become players, coaches, referees, and passionate commentators all at once.
For 90 minutes, protocol disappears and the world shares the same emotions, hope, suspense, and celebration.
As the world looks ahead to the next FIFA World Cup, we proudly stand behind our Eagles of arthage, Nusur Kartage and like Tunisians everywhere, look forward to 90 minutes of passion, hope, and spirited debate over every single decision on the field.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
The hard part is almost over.
I would ask the three co chairs to join Mr.
Dnpala from the UN refugee agency onstage for another ball handover.
Or just in front, perfect.
Thank you very much.
I want to once again thank the permanent representatives of Libya, Tajikistan, and Bahrain for organizing and co sponsoring this day.
The hard part, as I said, is now over.
Now comes the fun part.
You are all invited to the North lawn where very shortly after people have had time to put on some jerseys, some cleats and rediscover some muscles maybe some of you have not used in a while.
You're all invited for the tournament, which where permanent representatives and some of their younger colleagues will compete among regional teams in a knockout format and then a barbecue courtesy of the permanent mission of Germany.
Thank you all and congratulations.