How soccer helps protect, uplift and unite refugees

Played in over 200 countries around the world, soccer is the world’s most popular sport. The only necessary piece of equipment in soccer is a ball, which makes it accessible for people from all backgrounds. 

Not only is soccer entertaining, but it also helps unite people across cultures and can improve psychosocial well-being. UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, has recognized the potential of soccer to help uplift, empower and unite refugees with their host communities, particularly children. As a result, UNHCR has developed a “Sport for Protection” approach, which prioritizes opportunities for exercise, recreation and connection through sport. 

UNHCR High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, said that “sport has the incredible power to bring hope, to heal and to help shape the future for those forced to flee. In our work with refugees we see daily what uplifting difference sports can make in their lives.”

Today on the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, take a moment to read the stories of four individuals who have found hope, community and purpose through soccer. 

Alphonso Davies 

Before Alphonso Davies was an accomplished professional soccer player and UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador, he was a refugee. Davies was born in a refugee camp in Ghana to Liberian parents, who had fled their home country due to war. 

His family resettled to Canada when he was a child, and at 15 years old he began playing professional soccer. Now, he uses his platform to help uplift the voices and experiences of refugees around the world. 

“I want people to know about the importance of helping refugees, wherever they are, in camps or cities, in neighboring countries or countries of resettlement such as Canada,” Davies shared. “Refugees need our support to survive, but also access to education and sports, so they can fulfill their potential and truly thrive.”

Janghiz

In 2010, Janghiz was a stateless man living in Syria. He participated in protests to bring attention to the plight of stateless Syrians in hopes of being granted more rights, but his dreams were dashed when he was persecuted and forced to flee. 

Janghiz was forced to leave his life behind in Syria, but he carried his passion for soccer with him on his journey to safety. When he arrived in Switzerland as a refugee, he was able to connect with his new Swiss community through their shared love for the sport. He joined a soccer club comprised of both refugees and Swiss nationals designed to help refugees integrate with their new communities. 

“It was not easy to arrive in Switzerland, but sport helped me a lot to integrate.” 

AEK Athens Football Club

“My favorite sport is football, and my dream is to become a famous footballer,” said Miral, an 11-year-old refugee from Afghanistan. 

Miral is one of the thousands of refugees currently living in Greece. Greece hosts a large number of refugees from around the world , including Afghanistan, Syria, Somalia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. 

To help with cross-cultural connection and help engage refugees with their host communities, the AEK Athens Football Club developed the “Welcome Through Football” program, which is a twelve-week program that allows children and young adults to connect through soccer. The goal of the program is to offer a safe space for adolescents in refugee and host communities to practice soccer, while also fostering an environment for inclusion, hope and opportunity.

Pattoo 

Pattoo lives in the Tongogara refugee camp in Zimbabwe. Tongogara hosts more than 14,000 refugees, most of whom are from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, like Pattoo. Soccer is one of the main recreations in the camp, and with one-third of the camp’s population being children, soccer gives them an outlet to play, exercise and reduce their stress. 

“It’s a beautiful game and it keeps most of us away from our troubles,” shared Pattoo. “We just enjoy and life goes on.”

How you can help… 

UNHCR is on the ground in countries around the world working to provide protection, hope and opportunity to displaced people. Whether through sports, education or livelihood opportunities, refugees deserve safety and the opportunities to build better futures. By becoming a monthly donor, you can help UNHCR continue its life-changing work and support the full journeys of refugees.