Match for Solidarity – a special charity match organised by UEFA and the UN

Match for Solidarity – a special charity match organised by UEFA and the UN

UEFA and the United Nations collaborated together to organise a very special charity event for children with disabilities. “Match for Solidarity” is a charity football match involving two teams led by renowned football icons and featuring former star players and it will take place on Saturday 21 April 2018 at 16.00 at the Stade de Genève.

As an expression of solidarity and in recognition of the importance of sports in society, the Match for Solidarity is aimed at promoting peace, human rights and well-being in the world, through the Sustainable Development Goals as set out by the United Nations. The match is also being organised to promote the 17 Sustainable Development Goals as set out by the United Nations, with a specific focus on reducing inequalities, Goal number 10.

The two teams will be managed by Carlo Ancelotti and Didier Deschamps, and will be captained by Luís Figo and Ronaldinho respectively. Other players who have signed up to play include Éric Abidal, Cafu, Youri Djorkaeff, Alex Frei, Luis García, Nuno Gomes, Christian Karembeu, Fernando Hierro, Jari Litmanen, Gaizka Mendieta, Robert Pirès and Célia Šašić – with more to follow. Further information on the line-ups of the two teams will be announced in the coming weeks. The match will be officiated by the former Italian intenational referee Pierluigi Collina.

In the framework of the “Match for Solidarity”, a digital auction has been launched. Over a hundred items such as jerseys and balls signed by football icons, VIP experiences and more are available on https://auction.uefa.com for sale. 100% of the proceeds from the digital auction, the football match and the charity dinner will be proceeded to the UEFA Foundation for Children for humanitarian and development projects that benefit children with disabilities on a local and a global level. These projects will be selected by a committee of representatives from UEFA, the United Nations Office in Geneva and the Fondation du Stade de Genève.

Speaking about the project, UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin said: “We are delighted to be joining forces with the United Nations and the authorities in Geneva to organise this Match for Solidarity. UEFA is fully committed to being a social fair play organisation, and we feel it is our duty to help support humanitarian initiatives through football. I am sure that through this cooperation with the UN and the UEFA Foundation for Children we can raise significant funds for good causes around the world.”

Michael Møller, Director-General of the United Nations Office in Geneva, added: “This fruitful collaboration between the United Nations and UEFA makes excellent use of the unique synergies existing in Geneva. Solidarity is the key to create a fairer world for everybody. Each and all of us is part of the solution, we just need to pool our expertise and work together for achieving peace, rights and well-being.”

The match takes place on Saturday 21 April 2018 at 16.00 at the Stade de Genève, with pre-match activities involving local and international children starting around an hour before kick-off. Tickets are priced at CHF 10, CHF 17 and CHF 22, and can be purchased at www.ticketcorner.ch.