FIFA and Global Citizen today announced the first group of grant recipients from the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund. Twenty-seven grassroots organisations across 10 countries have been selected to receive grants ranging from USD 50,000 to USD 250,000, to support their vital work in providing quality education and football programmes for children in underserved communities worldwide.

The FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund aims to mobilise USD 100 million by the end of the FIFA World Cup 2026™ to expand access to education and football for children around the world. To date, the Fund has raised over USD 30 million with contributions from philanthropic foundations, leading brands and corporations, individual donors, and proceeds from ticket sales linked to major music and sporting events, including the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ and the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026™.

The first cohort of FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund grantees reflects both the global scale of need and the opportunity for meaningful impact. Collectively, the selected organisations reach thousands of children worldwide, including in regions where fewer than 15 per cent of students complete secondary education and poverty rates exceed 60 per cent. These figures highlight the urgency for targeted investment.

By supporting proven, community-led models that combine education, sport and local engagement, the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund seeks to broaden access to learning, improve educational outcomes, and create pathways to opportunity for children in some of the world’s most underserved communities.

“Football has the power to unite, inspire and create lasting change, and through the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund we are putting that power into action to invest in the future of children around the world,” said FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

“These organisations are doing extraordinary work, often in the most challenging environments, to ensure children have access to education and the life skills that football provides. Together with Global Citizen, we are committed to expanding this impact and helping many more children realise their potential.”

The first group of organisations to receive grants from the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund includes:

More information on the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund and the inaugural grantees is available on globalcitizen.org/education-fund-grantees.

Applications are now open for the second cycle of grants from the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund. Organisations providing access to education and sport for children in underserved communities worldwide are invited to apply for grants ranging from USD 50,000 to USD 250,000 by visiting globalcitizen.org/education-fund-apply.

Hugh Evans, Co-founder & CEO of Global Citizen commented: “For children growing up in extreme poverty, access to education is not only life-changing, it’s life-saving. The impact of the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund is far reaching — beyond the lives of young people in classrooms and on sports fields, into these communities, where their quality of life will improve and cycles of poverty will be broken. I extend heartfelt congratulations to our first grantees, and gratitude for their remarkable work.”

“We are deeply honored to play a role in an initiative of this scale and purpose — one that has the potential to transform lives and expand access to education for children around the world,” said Joseph Mrak III, CEO of Foundation Source. “For more than 25 years, we have maintained that impactful philanthropy requires more than good intentions. Strong operational and compliance infrastructure is the cornerstone that allows generous gifts to reach those who need it most.”

Founding donors to the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund include Bank of America, the Official Bank Sponsor of the FIFA World Cup 2026™, which also serves as the bank of record for the Fund, as well as ticket sales from the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, the FIFA Word Cup 2026, and FIFA Collect. Further pledges are expected from philanthropies, corporations and individuals in the coming months.

The non-fiduciary FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund advisory board includes FIFA President Gianni Infantino, Global Citizen Co-Founder and CEO Hugh Evans, Australian actor Hugh Jackman, US businesswoman and entrepreneur Ivanka Trump, Canadian singer-songwriter The Weeknd, Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira, US tennis great Serena Williams, Brazilian football legend Kaká, and co-president of Bank of America Jim DeMare.

Half of the funds raised for the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund will be allocated to the FIFA Football for Schools (F4S) programme, an initiative that advances life skills, learning, and community development through football around the world.

The first group of FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund grantees were selected through a highly competitive, multi-stage process designed to ensure credibility and impact. From more than 3,500 applications submitted through an open global call, independent screening by Foundation Source verified eligibility and compliance before Global Citizen programme staff shortlisted top candidates against a rigorous evaluation framework.

All applications were subject to a rigorous evaluation framework developed by Global Citizen and administered jointly with Foundation Source, encompassing eligibility screening, compliance verification and comprehensive due diligence before any disbursements are made. Ongoing monitoring and spot checks will ensure accountability and results through the grant period. Grantees benefit from a single platform to manage their relationship with Global Citizen from application through grant agreement and reporting, simplifying the administrative process so organizations can stay focused on their work. More eligibility criteria details can be found here.