In her opening remarks, HE Sheikha Alya emphasised football’s unique power to unite people across borders and its growing role as a platform for diplomacy, sustainability, and social inclusion:
25 June 2025
Doha 25/6/2025 - In the lead up to the second annual World Football Day, Generation Amazing Foundation (GA) joined the global football community for the inaugural Football for the Goals Forum. Organised by the UN and powered by GA, the Forum convened leaders in the Football for Development community to further explore how the sport can advance the Sustainable Development Goals.
Bringing together senior UN officials, football federations, professional clubs, NGOs and other leaders from across the sport for development ecosystem, the Forum featured keynote speakers including HE Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif Al-Thani, Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the United Nations, Nasser Al-Khori, Executive Director of Generation Amazing Foundation, and Robert Skinner, Deputy Director and Chief of Partnerships and Global Engagement at United Nations.
“We proudly recall the adoption on 8 April 2022 of UN General Assembly Resolution titled The 2022 World Cup organized by FIFA in Qatar." Just months later, on 20 November, the 2022 FIFA World Cup in the State of Qatar opened in Doha with a magnificent and historic ceremony, reflecting the success of a mega sport tournament that united people and nations from across the globe.
Over 29 days, the world came together in Qatar, celebrating fair play, excitement, and global togetherness. For the first time in the Middle East and Arab region, the 2022 FIFA World Cup in the State of Qatar served as a powerful platform to promote the values of peace, development, and mutual understanding through the universal language of football.”
Over 29 days, the world came together in Qatar, celebrating fair play, excitement, and global togetherness. For the first time in the Middle East and Arab region, the 2022 FIFA World Cup in the State of Qatar served as a powerful platform to promote the values of peace, development, and mutual understanding through the universal language of football.”
Nasser Al-Khori highlighted Qatar’s vision to embed social impact into global sporting legacies:
“Football is more than a game—it is a platform for global equity, a classroom for life skills, and a catalyst for grassroots change. As Qatar’s human and social legacy foundation from the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, Generation Amazing remains committed to using football to drive youth empowerment, social cohesion and gender equality across the globe.”
Breakout sessions during the Forum offered space for participants to collaboratively explore solutions to pressing challenges in the sport for development field. These interactive discussions centred on three core themes: climate action and sustainability, youth empowerment and education, and advancing gender equality.
Building on these conversations, Robert Skinner underscored how the Forum reflects a growing movement to advance the SDGs through sport:
“The Football for the Goals Forum is a testament to what’s possible when we unite around a shared vision,” said Skinner. “The global football community has strengthened its resolve to use the beautiful game to promote sustainability, gender equality, inclusion and peace. We are grateful to Generation Amazing for their leadership and for helping bring this community together to build momentum around the SDGs.”
The Forum reflected Qatar’s growing leadership in the sport for development ecosystem. Established as part of Qatar’s bid to host the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, GA reflects the country’s commitment to advancing the SDGs through mega sporting events and impactful and inclusive sport-based programming. From refugee camps to underserved communities worldwide, Generation Amazing continues to scale its legacy through initiatives that equip youth with the tools to thrive and lead change.
The event served as a crucial milestone ahead of World Football Day, recognised by the UN General Assembly in 2024 to celebrate football’s contribution to diplomacy, sustainability, human rights, and social inclusion. This year, a celebration for World Football Day was held at the UN General Assembly, featuring remarks by Gianni Infantino, FIFA President, as well as HE Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif Al-Thani.
