Legacy for the Future: UEFA Foundation for Children and adidas Foundation to change the game for girls and women
Building on UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 to create a lasting movement of equity, empowerment and opportunity in sport
Legacy for the Future is a collaborative project initiated and funded by the UEFA Foundation for Children and the adidas Foundation, involving national football associations and local organisations. Each team competing in UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 has selected a gender equity project to champion in their home country, ensuring financial support but also visibility, inspiration, networking and capacity building.
The aim is to create a legacy that empowers girls and women, not only in football but across all areas of life – a groundbreaking initiative aligned with UEFA Women’s EURO 2025.
As Switzerland prepares to host the largest women’s sporting event in its history, Legacy for the Future will harness the power of women’s football to dismantle barriers and open doors for girls and women across Europe. The project is rooted in the belief that sport can be a powerful catalyst for social change, inclusion and equality.
A shortlist of project partners was drawn up by the UEFA and adidas foundations and the final selection made by the national teams.
| National team | Partner |
| Belgium | BX Brussels |
| Denmark | Girl Power |
| Finland | Louhento Foundation |
| England | Rio Ferdinand Foundation |
| France | Kabubu |
| Germany | Safe Hub |
| Iceland | Bergið headspace |
| Italy | ASD Balon Mundial |
| Netherlands | Klabu Foundation |
| Norway | Rosa Sko |
| Poland | Trenuj Bycie Dobrym |
| Portugal | Integrated Dreams |
| Spain | Fútbol Más |
| Sweden | En Frisk Generation |
| Switzerland | Swiss Academy for Development |
| Wales | Cymru Football Foundation |
A total of €800,000 will be available to shared among 16 non-profit organisations selected by the teams participating in UEFA Women’s EURO 2025. In addition, the national teams have all committed to meeting the project beneficiaries with a view to creating memorable exchanges and using their positions as role models to guide and inspire young girls to dream, play and shine in football and beyond. By giving the teams the opportunity to meet and greet young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, the message of inclusion and equality is being reinforced.
Melissa Kaar, managing director of the adidas Foundation, underlined the importance of the project in improving access to sport for women and girls in Europe:
We hope that with this project, we can leverage the attention and joy of UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 to further strengthen gender equity and access to sport for women and girls in Europe.
- Melissa Kaar, managing director of the Adidas Foundation
The project is already up and running in some countries. In Portugal, for example, the women’s national team met the charity organisation Integrated Dreams and invited youngsters selected by the NGO to attend a training session and spend some time with the players.
After the session, Dolores Silva, captain of the Portuguese national team, highlighted the importance of the visit and the Legacy for the Future project:
It was a privilege to share our work with the young people who visited us. Their affection and support for the Navegadoras, just before we set off for another UEFA Women's EURO, meant a great deal. A true Legacy for the Future!
- Dolores Silva, captain of the Portuguese national team
Carine N’koué, general secretary of UEFA Foundation for Children, added:
With Legacy for the Future, we are not just supporting projects – we are investing in the dreams and potential of girls and women across Europe. This initiative is about more than football; it’s about creating lasting change through the power of sport. By connecting national teams with grassroots organisations, we are building bridges of opportunity, inclusion and inspiration that will endure far beyond the final whistle of UEFA Women’s EURO 2025.
- Carine N'koué, general secretary of UEFA Foundation for Children
About Adidas Foundation
Project partner
The adidas Foundation is a legally independent non-profit organisation established by adidas in 2023. The adidas Foundation’s vision is a world where everyone has the opportunity to experience the transformative power of sport, fostering a healthier, more inclusive and sustainable future for all. Working through partnership development, evaluation and research, advocacy and community engagement, the adidas Foundation strives to achieve its mission of uniting communities through sport, for people and the planet. Learn more at www.adidasfoundation.org