World Football Day
Next: May 25, 2027
One ball, every language.
The story
Where it comes from
On 25 May 1924, the football tournament of the Paris Olympic Games kicked off: 22 teams, and the first international football tournament with teams from every region of the world. A hundred years on, on 7 May 2024, the UN General Assembly adopted resolution 78/281 by consensus, proclaiming 25 May World Football Day. The resolution invites countries, schools, clubs and companies to share the benefits of football for all, as a game that teaches teamwork, fair play and respect, and brings people together across borders.
How it's celebrated
The UN holds a commemoration, football bodies such as UEFA join in, and the UN's Football for the Goals initiative uses the day to link the game with the Sustainable Development Goals. Most of the celebrating happens on a patch of grass: a kick-about after school or work, a five-a-side with colleagues, or an evening watching an old classic with friends.
Did you know
- Uruguay won the 1924 Olympic title, beating Switzerland 3–0 in the final in front of more than 40,000 people, and went on to host and win the first FIFA World Cup in 1930.
- The 1924 tournament was the first competition organised by FIFA, and the first international tournament in which a South American team played.
- The Malaysia Cup, one of Asia's oldest football tournaments, began as the Malaya Cup in 1921, when Singapore beat Selangor 2–1 in the first final.
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