FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund Announces Grants for 31 Additional Community Based Education Organizations

FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund Reaches USD $60 Million Mark, Mobilizing Grants Education to Reach Over 400,000 Children in 18 Countries

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA, July 17, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Today, Global Citizen and FIFA announced the next cohort of community-based organizations that will receive grants from the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, as the FIFA World Cup 2026™ Final and first-ever Halftime Show approaches. This second group of 31 grantees, based in 18 countries around the world, will receive awards ranging from USD $50,000–$250,000 to continue their community-based work expanding access to quality education and sports for children in underserved communities.

Today’s announcement brings the total number of organizations supported by the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund to 58, which will benefit over 400,000 children worldwide, and ensure the FIFA World Cup 2026™ leaves a lasting impact far beyond the final whistle.

Today at a dedicated pledging summit held by Global Citizen in New York City, ‘No Child on the Sidelines’, major new commitments to the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund were announced, bringing the total amount raised to date to USD $60 million. Government partners supporting the campaign include the Governments of Canada, Portugal, Sierra Leone and Zambia, and the Belgian Agency for International Cooperation Enabel. We also warmly welcome the United Arab Emirates’ commitment of $5 million. The FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund is grateful for an anchor pledge from Qatar, via the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, which will allow the Fund to provide grants to beneficiary organizations across the Middle East and North Africa. Fox Corporation has also made a generous donation of $1 million. The FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund is also grateful for the generous support from the Adam Foundation, the FIFA Foundation, the Varkey Foundation, and the Pakistan Football Federation. Additional supporting partners include AT&T Stadium, Carolyn McDonnell, Chris Stadler, Deloitte, Flavorful Friends and Nissan Stadium, and the BTS Army, who independently fundraised online following the announcement of BTS’ participation in the FIFA World Cup 2026™ Final Halftime Show.

In just over a year since its launch, the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund has mobilized more than $60 million in commitments from philanthropies, major brands and corporations, individual donors, and proceeds from ticket sales to major music and sporting events, including the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ and the FIFA World Cup 2026™. This campaign comes at a time when the world is facing the sharpest decline in international education aid in decades, with global education aid projected to fall by around one-quarter and some of the world's most vulnerable countries experiencing cuts of more than 40 percent.

The second cohort of organizations selected to receive grants from the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund are collectively reaching 400,000 children globally, with some operating in contexts where fewer than 15 percent of students complete secondary school, and where poverty rates exceed 60 percent, underscoring the urgency of targeted investment. By supporting proven models that combine education, sport, nutrition, health services and community engagement, the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund is helping expand access to learning, improve education outcomes, and create pathways to opportunity for children in some of the world’s most underserved communities.

The cohort of organizations announced today who will receive grants from the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund include:
● AfriKids (Ghana) -- Providing children in Northern Ghana with access to quality education, while strengthening child protection and health through community-led programs.
● Associació Esportiva Ciutat Vella (Spain) -- Using sport to promote social inclusion, youth empowerment and community by expanding access to sports and educational opportunities for children.
● Bhubesi Pride Foundation (Malawi) -- Delivering inclusive youth leadership and sports programs and Achinyamata Tikambilane, a youth-led dialogue platform focused on health, gender and personal development.
● Challenging Heights (Ghana) -- Rescuing young people from trafficking and economic exploitation, while providing long-term survivor support and partnering with communities to prevent exploitation before it begins.
● Dragones de Lavapiés (Spain) -- Promoting social inclusion, intercultural dialogue and equal opportunity through sport.
● EduSpots (Ghana) -- Empowering local communities across Ghana to design, lead and sustain transformative learning initiatives with 50 community-owned learning hubs.
● Food Education Fund (USA) -- Preparing students for college and careers through hospitality education providing hands-on learning, internships, and industry partnerships.
● Fondo para la Paz, IAP (Mexico) -- Strengthening education, local leadership, and sustainable development in Indigenous communities through its Sustainable Community Development Program.
● Fundación Pies Descalzos (Colombia) -- Developing educational infrastructure projects to expand access to quality education for children in vulnerable communities across Colombia.
● Instituto Brasileiro de Capoeira-Educação (Brazil) -- Using capoeira to expand educational opportunities for children and youth in vulnerable communities while promoting Afro-Brazilian culture, digital inclusion, and life skills development.
● Kyaka United Youth Deaf Association (KUYODA) (Uganda) -- Advancing inclusive education and equal opportunities for deaf children and young people in Uganda's Kyaka II Refugee Settlement.
● Les Enfants de la Goutte d’Or (France) -- Providing academic support, cultural programs and educational activities to support children, youth, and families facing socioeconomic vulnerability.
● Link Community Development Malawi (Malawi) -- Partnering with governments and local communities to improve learning outcomes and expand access to quality education for every child.
● Luta pela Paz (Brazil) -- Using sport to create new opportunities for young people in communities affected by violence and inequality through boxing, martial arts and holistic youth development.
● Orange Foundation Sierra Leone (Sierra Leone) -- Expanding access to childhood learning, digital skills and entrepreneurship through schools, digital centers and technology-based learning programs.
● Presencia Colombo Suiza (Colombia) -- Expanding long-term education opportunities for children in vulnerable communities and supporting lifelong learning from early childhood through post-secondary education.
● Project Luangwa (Zambia) -- Delivering literacy, digital learning, sport, youth leadership, mentoring and safe spaces that help children learn, thrive, and reach their full potential.
● Sesame Square Nigeria (Nigeria) -- Evidence-based teaching with multimedia and community engagement to strengthen foundational learning and child development.
● Sesame Workshop International South Africa (South Africa) -- Delivering evidence-based programs in South Africa that strengthen school readiness, wellbeing and foundational life skills for young children and their caregivers.
● shift_ed / Shift Education (USA) -- Connecting schools, employers, higher education institutions and community partners to expand opportunities and improve long-term outcomes through a kindergarten-to-career approach.
● Solid’Africa (Rwanda) -- Delivering nutritious, locally sourced meals that help children stay healthy, attend school regularly and succeed academically.
● Sport 4 Life UK (United Kingdom) -- Supporting young people in building successful futures through mentoring, employability training and personal development.
● Street Child of Sierra Leone (Sierra Leone) -- Supporting the country's most marginalized children, including girls, children with disabilities and those affected by poverty, through emergency aid, mental health support, school construction, and teacher training.
● Teach For Australia (Australia) -- Strengthening the education workforce and expanding opportunities for students across Australia through leadership development, coaching and teacher preparation.
● Teach For Nigeria (Nigeria) -- Expanding educational opportunities for children in underserved communities by recruiting and developing high-potential teachers and leaders.
● The Akanksha Foundation (India) -- Providing high-quality education for children through a network of free public schools, operated in partnership with municipal governments.
● The Dyslexia - SPELD Foundation (Australia) -- Providing evidence-based assessment, intervention, training and advocacy for individuals with language, literacy and learning difficulties.
● The School Club Zambia (Zambia) -- Providing schools with training and infrastructure support, helping them enhance quality learning driven by self-financing schools, vocational education, literacy development and girls’ education.
● United Sports Foundation (Japan) -- Helping children strengthen communication and teamwork, build self-esteem, and create meaningful learning experiences using multi-sport activities and athlete-led instruction.
● Wokober Education Foundation (Uganda) -- Play-based, technology-enabled, and competency-driven learning for children and youth in underserved communities that builds creativity, problem-solving, leadership, and life skills.
● Women At Risk International Foundation (Nigeria) -- Empowering women and girls through education, health, and survivor support to prevent sexual violence.

“We are thrilled to receive contributions to the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund from the United Arab Emirates and the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy of Qatar. As we pass the $60 million milestone, it has always been our commitment to get funding into the hands of frontline organizations as quickly as possible,” said Michael Sheldrick, Co-Founder and Chief Government Relations Officer, Global Citizen. “These 31 remarkable grantees are transforming children’s lives in communities around the world, from Brazil to France, the United Kingdom to Nigeria, and beyond. Their work represents the lasting legacy the FIFA World Cup 2026 will leave: expanding access to education and creating opportunities for over 400,000 children worldwide. Now we continue to invite the leaders of big football nations like French President Macron and Spanish Prime Minister Sanchez to also support the campaign.”

Today's announcement marks a major milestone in the Education Fund's growth, expanding one of the largest education legacy initiatives ever created through global sport, but not its conclusion. FIFA and Global Citizen will continue working with governments, companies, philanthropists and football fans in the months ahead to build the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund and advance its shared ambition of mobilizing US$100 million for children's education.

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

Founding donors to the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund include MetLife Foundation and Bank of America, which also serves as the bank of record for the Fund. Other contributors include Cisco and Sony, and ticket sales from the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™, the FIFA World Cup 2026™, and FIFA Collect. Additionally, proceeds from all tickets sold to The Weeknd’s ‘After Hours Til Dawn’ tour and Usher and Chris Brown’s ‘R&B’ tour will be donated, with thanks to Live Nation.

Shakira’s royalties from the official FIFA World Cup 2026 song 'Dai Dai' are being donated to the Education Fund, and Sony Music will match the first $250,000 raised with a donation. Additionally, Shakira is donating $1 from every ticket sold to her upcoming 'Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran' tour to the Education Fund.

The non-fiduciary FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund advisory board includes Hugh Jackman, The Weeknd, Ivanka Trump, Gianni Infantino, Hugh Evans, Serena Williams, Shakira, Kaká and Bank of America co-president Jim De Mare.

A portion 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 58 FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund grantees were selected through a highly competitive, multi-stage process designed to ensure credibility and impact. 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 on www.globalcitizen.org/en/projects/fifa-global-citizen-education-fund/apply/.

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