Football’s Next Generation: The Secrets to Reaching Children & Young People

Global Representation and Enthusiastic Feedback

The session featured representatives from FIFA, CAF, CONMEBOL, and the Caribbean Football Union (CFU), showcasing widespread interest in youth engagement. Member Associations from Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Indonesia, Zimbabwe, and numerous other nations joined, demonstrating the universal need for relevant, youth-oriented strategies.

Feedback from attendees was overwhelmingly positive, with 100% expressing extreme satisfaction and finding the content directly applicable to their work. Notably, 50% of the attendees reported not having a clear strategy to attract young audiences, highlighting the significance of the session’s insights. Some participant feedback included:

“It's really relatable to my work and it will help me with my future projects” — Ali Sharafeldin, United Arab Emirates

“La pertinence des informations et des contenus apportés par Monsieur Stuart Rowson m'a été beaucoup bénéfique” — Oumar Rafiou Diallo, Guinea

“L’exemple pratique de la video du dessin Blue sur l’intérêt du sport, ça été très inspirant” — Franchelle Bijou Boutamba, Gabon

Insights into Reaching the Next Generation

Led by Stuart Rowson, the session delved into core principles for engaging children and young people, focusing on relatability, building connections, and inspiring active participation. The framework emphasised understanding young audiences’ unique needs and creating authentic, consistent engagement across digital and physical platforms.

This session highlights FIFA’s commitment, through the FIFA+ platform, to equipping Member Associations with the knowledge to connect meaningfully with younger fans, laying the foundation for a vibrant, engaged football community in the years to come.