June 2026

#PhotoDescription: Ashoka Fellows José Soares, Jürgen Griesbeck, Felicité Rwemarika, Mel Young, Claudia Gonzales, and Mercedes D'Alessandro.

Next week, the FIFA World Cup kicks off with 48 participating nations, 104 matches, and many eyes on the game. Yet, for many Ashoka Fellows, football goes far beyond entertainment: it becomes an infrastructure for social change. In Portugal, José Soares' Integrated Dreams just launched the Africa edition of Football for All leadership, training the next generation of inclusive sport leaders in employability and entrepreneurship for people with disabilities. In Germany, Jürgen Griesbeck's Common Goal united more than 200 organizations across 100 countries for World Football Giving Day and this week, over 1,400 youth from underserved communities will step onto the World Cup pitch as Player Escorts. In Rwanda, Felicité Rwemarika met with the International Olympic Truce Centre Board Chair to advance sport-based peacebuilding in conflict-affected communities. In the UK, Mel Young's Homeless World Cup launched a new supporter initiative to grow their global football community and create pathways out of homelessness, while in Bolivia, Claudia Gonzales' ALALAY Foundation celebrated the Street Child World Cup, an event that promotes sport, inclusion, and the dreams of girls from all over the world.  

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