I want to tell you about a girl I met on a soccer field in Granada, Nicaragua.
Her name was Cora. She was fifteen, living with thirteen other people in a small collection of wooden houses across the field. No equipment. No coaching. But whenever a pick-up game started, she would walk out in flip flops and play. She loved the game the way you do—the way I do. That unconditional, show-up, come-as-you-are love.
The difference between Cora and me wasn’t talent or potential. It was circumstances. And that gap—between those who experience the full benefits of the game and those who don’t—is what set me on the path I’m still on today.
In 2007, I was 25, newly retired from playing professionally in the U.S. and Iceland, and preparing to travel to Nicaragua, where I would meet Cora. She would become one of the first participants in Soccer Without Borders—an organization built on a simple belief: soccer can be a platform for opportunity, inclusion, and growth.
At the time, we had belief, but very few resources. So I started with what I knew. I asked a local indoor facility to donate an hour of field time and invited youth players to a skills clinic for a $10–$20 donation. We raised $240.
Not enough to change the world, some might think. But it changed everything for me. It showed me that small actions—done together—add up. And that soccer is one of the most powerful ways to make that happen.
On May 26, your training can become something bigger.
Today, as CEO of Common Goal, I help lead the largest global collective using soccer for social impact. On May 26, we’re launching the first-ever World Football Giving Day—a moment for the entire football community to show up and give back.
Athletes like Naomi Girma, Juan Mata, Vivianne Miedema, and Dani Olmo are in. But the real heroes are the coaches clearing glass off dirt fields so kids have a safe place to play. The program leaders teaching conflict resolution through the game. The educators using soccer to address issues like domestic violence and social inclusion.
This is a global team effort. And this is where you come in.
This World Football Giving Day, we’re partnering with Techne to connect your training directly to impact. By joining the challenge in the app, you can turn your sessions into real support for programs around the world.
Here’s how it works:
Before May 26:
Set up your free fundraising page on PledgeIt. Share it with friends, family, and teammates, and ask them to pledge a small amount per drill you complete—$.50, $1, or $5 is plenty. Donations only activate once you complete the challenge.
May 26–29:
Train. Complete as many drills as you can over four days. The more you do, the more impact you create.
Every dollar raised supports Common Goal’s global network, which currently reaches 3.6 million young people each year at an average cost of $102 per participant.
Start now. Set up your page, join the challenge, and get going!
May 30:
If you joined the PledgeIt campaign, you’ll receive an email asking you to enter the number of drills you completed. Simply enter that number (up to 40 drills), and PledgeIt takes care of the rest.
On May 26, soccer shows its heart. Are you in?
Mary Connor | CEO, Common Goal
