Adidas has announced a long-term partnership with Common Goal to promote lasting social change among under-served communities and create a better and more inclusive future through football. Common Goal’s members pledge 1 percent of their earnings to a central fund, allocated to high-impact organizations that harness the power of football to advance the United Nations Global Goals. Adidas has pledged 1 percent of its global net sales from footballs to Common Goal until 2023.
Common Goal was launched in 2017 when Juan Mata, a player of Manchester United and the Spain national team, committed to pledge 1 percent of his salary to a collective fund that invests in community organizations that use football to empower young people. Common Goal was co-founded by Mata with Jürgen Griesbeck and Thomas Preiss. The collective has since grown to almost 200 players and managers, including Paulo Dybala, Timo Werner and Jurgen Klopp, among others. To date, more than €3 million have been generated by the movement and invested in football-based charities that support the United Nations Global Goals.
During the initial three-year period of the partnership, Adidas will collaborate with Common Goal to support grassroots community organizations across the globe via a network of 140 high-impact football non-governmental organizations in 90 countries. Projects include: the Global Goal 5 Accelerator, creating opportunities for girls to develop their full potential; the Anti-Racist Project, to end racism in football on and off the pitch; the Play Proud project, to promote inclusivity for LGBTQ+ communities among grassroots football organizations, programs and communities around the world; and the Global Goal 16 Impact project, empowering young people to shape their communities and create peaceful and inclusive societies.
This partnership announcement is the final chapter in Adidas’ UEFA Euro 2020 campaign and is part of the company’s long-term commitment to inspiring a more positive and inclusive world through sport. To support the partnership, fans can purchase a football at www.adidas.co.uk/balls for their 1 percent to be contributed toward social change causes.
