FIFA, in partnership with several United Nations agencies, will use the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™ to highlight a range of social causes, selected following extensive consultation with stakeholders including players and the 32 participating member associations.
Under the global campaign, Football Unites the World, eight specific messages will be sent during the final tournament:
Unite for Inclusion – in partnership with UN Human Rights
Unite for Indigenous Peoples – in partnership with UN Human Rights
Unite for Gender Equality – in partnership with UN Women
Unite for Peace – in partnership with UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency
Unite for Education for All – in partnership with the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Unite for Zero Hunger – in partnership with the UN World Food Programme
Unite for Ending Violence Against Women – in partnership with UN Women
Football is Joy, Peace, Love, Hope & Passion – in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO)
“Football unites the world and our global events, such as the FIFA Women’s World Cup, have a unique power to bring people together and provide joy, excitement and passion,” said FIFA President Gianni Infantino. “But football does even more than that – it can shine the spotlight on very important causes in our society.
After some very open talks with stakeholders, including member associations and players, we have decided to highlight a series of social causes – from inclusion to gender equality, from peace to ending hunger, from education to tackling domestic violence – during all 64 matches at the FIFA Women’s World Cup.”
FIFA Secretary General Fatma Samoura said: “It’s not just about what happens on the pitch. We are committed to using football’s power as a force for good and leveraging our partnerships with United Nations agencies to achieve our goals. We want to say thank you. Thank you to the players and the teams for sharing your support, for these causes. United, we can make a difference.”
The FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™ will be followed by an estimated audience of over two billion people around the world, providing an ideal platform to raise awareness for important social issues.
Each message will be promoted via the team captains’ armbands, pitchside digital LED boards, large flags presented on the pitch, giant screens in stadiums and via social media.
With regard to the armbands, team captains will be given three options: they can wear the “Football Unites the World” armband for the entire tournament; an armband corresponding to the theme of their choice for the entire tournament; or the armband corresponding to the theme of the specific matchday.
In addition, the tournament will also feature activations for other long-term campaigns, namely #BeActive, in partnership with the WHO, and #NoDiscrimination which aims to take direct action to tackle all forms of discrimination, including racism, in society.
