Football and SOS Children
In 1995, SOS Children's links with the football world were established when it joined forces with world football's governing body, FIFA. Since then, this partnership has blossomed and with it brought the support of over 100 international footballers, football associations and teams, culminating in this summer's amazingly successful "6 villages for 2006" World Cup campaign.
Find out more about our about SOS Children's position as the 'charity of football'.
FIFA
For over 10 years, SOS Children's Villages and FIFA have been working together, using football to benefit some of the world's most disadvantaged children. Find out more about more about the FIFA/SOS partnership - a partnership between sport and social responsibility.
FIFA/SOS Ambassadors
Over 100 current or former international footballers have pledged their support to SOS Children and taken on the role of FIFA/SOS Ambassador. Famous names on the list include Wayne Rooney and Gordon Strachan from the UK and Andriy Shevchenko, Francesco Totti, Jay Jay Okocha, George Weah and Dunga from further afield. Find out more about our footballing ambassadors.
"6 villages for 2006"
The most recent collaboration between FIFA and SOS Children was "6 villages for 2006", the Official Charity Campaign of the 2006 World Cup, which aimed to give a new family home to hundreds of orphaned and abandoned children in Brazil, Mexico, Nigeria, South Africa, Ukraine and Vietnam.
Find out more about the campaign and how football fans helped create a brighter future for hundreds of orphaned children around the world.
The FA
In December 2005, The FA announced SOS Children as its international charity partner for 2006 and pledged its support for the "6 villages for 2006" campaign.
The FA make regular visits to SOS Children's Villages in Africa. Recent visits have included Lesotho and Botswana with Gazza.
Find out more about the partnership between SOS Children and The FA.
Celtic FC
SOS Children was very fortunate to gain the support of Celtic FC in 2005, in becoming the football club's international charity. Thanks to Celtic we also gained the support of Gordon Strachan as FIFA/SOS Ambassador for Scotland.
Celtic joined the "6 villages for 2006" team by donating to the construcion of an eighth SOS Children's Village in South Africa. Read out more about Celtic's support for SOS Children.