"¿Kylian, tú hablas español?" UEFA foundation children meet Real Madrid and Atalanta stars
Wednesday, August 14, 2024
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Children invited by the UEFA Foundation for Children met star players like Kylian Mbappé, Jude Bellingham, Vinícius Júnior and Ademola Lookman ahead of the UEFA Super Cup.
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It’s not every day you get to meet Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior, Jude Bellingham, Ademola Lookman or Éderson, especially all at once.
Ahead of Wednesday's UEFA Super Cup match between Real Madrid and Atalanta, children from Trenujbyciedobry, the European Amputee Football Federation and Hope for Mundial were invited by the UEFA Foundation for Children to attend the training sessions and interact with their heroes up close.
The three associations support vulnerable children in Poland and abroad by providing them with opportunities to play football and develop a strong community around the beautiful game.
The children will have the chance to enter the pitch as player mascots alongside the players ahead of the match. Oliwia, a young girl from Amputee Football Polska, will accompany the UEFA president, Aleksander Čeferin, to present the medals at the end of the game.
Which charities benefit from the UEFA foundation support?
Trenujbyciedobry
Trenujbyciedobry, a Polish NGO, is at the heart of global efforts to harness the power of football to address social challenges. Uniting over 50 primary schools, this organisation uses football as a tool for social change, particularly through its innovative 'football3' methodology. This approach promotes values such as empathy, respect, cooperation, honesty and equality—crucial components of a strong, inclusive society.
Supported for many years by the UEFA Foundation for Children, Trenujbyciedobry also collaborates closely with the Common Goal foundation and the European Commission as part of the Football For Unity initiative to make a lasting impact on communities worldwide.
European Amputee Football Federation (EAFF)
The European Amputee Football Federation (EAFF) is dedicated to empowering individuals with amputations or limb defects by increasing their access to amputee football and enhancing their quality of life. The UEFA Foundation for Children proudly supports the EAFF's Junior Camp project—a specialised training camp for children aged 5 to 16 with unilateral amputations or limb defects.
Junior Camp brings together participants from across Europe and beyond, offering them the chance to play football, engage in the universal language of sport and develop new skills. Through its partnership with UEFA, the EAFF is committed to expanding junior programmes in its member countries, encouraging more amputee children to embrace the sport.
Hope for Mundial
Hope for Mundial (Stowarzyszenie Nadzieja na Mundial) is the first-ever world football championship for children from orphanages. It uses football as a tool for social integration.
To date, the Polish association has welcomed over 11,000 players from 45 countries to take part in the annual tournament.
In 2020, the association received the UEFA foundation award for its important work for children in Poland and abroad.