Evidence from the Football for the Goals 2024 annual reporting shows that, with supportive policies and sustained investment, football can be a cost-effective tool for advancing the 2030 Agenda, particularly by improving health, education, skills, and social inclusion for the communities and population groups most often left behind in society.
Governments should recognize and integrate football and sport organizations as trusted delivery partners in national SDG strategies, leveraging crosssector partnerships to advance inclusion, health, education, and equality for communities most often left behind.
Football organizations should align operations and initiatives with the SDGs by investing in scalable sport for development models, building staff capacity for inclusive and safe delivery, prioritizing underrepresented groups, and actively communicating impact to strengthen collaboration and visibility.