World Football Day 25 May 2026 will be celebrated worldwide as part of a broader FIFA-led push to use football as a force for movement, unity and healthier living. This year, the observance sits within World Football Week 2026, which runs from 21-25 May and focuses strongly on encouraging children to be more active through the FIFA and World Health Organization Be Active campaign.
The message is simple but important: children should move more, play more and build healthier habits from an early age. FIFA says the Be Active campaign encourages children to aim for at least 60 minutes of daily physical activity, using football as a fun, accessible way to support healthier and happier lives.
World Football Day itself was officially proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in May 2024 through Resolution A/RES/78/281, recognizing football’s global reach and its influence beyond sport. The date, 25 May, marks the anniversary of the first international football tournament featuring teams from different regions of the world, which began during the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris.
FIFA World Football Week 2026 and the Be Active message
For 2026, FIFA’s World Football Week is built around the idea that every football session, school activity, community event and local match can help children move more. The campaign encourages clubs, schools, football associations, community groups and families to organize simple activities that make football welcoming and enjoyable for young people.
Through its official World Football Week campaign, FIFA is inviting people and organizations to take part from 21-25 May by hosting football-themed sessions, mini training activities and movement-based events. The campaign also encourages participants to share their activities online using #WorldFootballWeek and #BeActive, while tagging FIFA’s official social media channels.
One of the key parts of the campaign is FIFA’s World Football Week toolkit. The toolkit includes event ideas, football skills and drills, social media templates, printable posters, flyers, activity trackers and guidance for organizing safe, engaging activities. The goal is to make participation easier for schools, clubs and community organizations that want to turn the week into a practical celebration of movement.
FIFA is also promoting the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026™ Be Active Workout, described as a fun and accessible dance routine linked to the wider Be Active message. The workout is expected to give children, families and football fans another way to join the campaign beyond traditional matches and training sessions.
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The UN message behind World Football Day 2026
The United Nations observance highlights football’s ability to promote peace, cooperation, tolerance, respect and solidarity. It recognizes that the game has a rare global reach, connecting people across borders, cultures, languages and social backgrounds.
According to the United Nations World Football Day observance page, the day acknowledges football’s impact in several areas, including commerce, peace, diplomacy and cooperation. The resolution also encourages governments, organizations, schools and communities to support football and other physical activities as tools for development, education, health and inclusion.
That message is especially relevant in 2026 as FIFA places children and young people at the centre of World Football Week. Football remains one of the most accessible sports in the world because it can be played in schools, streets, parks, community pitches and open spaces with minimal equipment. For many children, it is also an early introduction to teamwork, discipline, confidence and social connection.
The 2026 campaign also connects football with public health. By encouraging children to move for at least 60 minutes each day, FIFA and WHO are using the popularity of the game to support healthier routines at a time when inactivity among young people remains a growing global concern.
World Football Day 25 May 2026 is therefore more than a symbolic observance. It closes a five-day global celebration that asks communities to turn football’s popularity into action: more children playing, more families moving, more schools and clubs opening their doors, and more people seeing the game as a shared space for health, joy and unity.
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