FOX Sports set out to ensure the impact of FIFA World Cup 2026™ extended far beyond the tournament itself, using the global energy of soccer to create meaningful access, connection and opportunity for young people in communities across the country.
The idea was simple: create welcoming spaces where young people could play, learn and feel that they belong in the future of American soccer while leveraging the once-in-a-generation sporting moment as a catalyst for the game’s sustainable growth and positive social impact.
Our goals were to:
Together with its community partners, FOX Sports set out to transform FIFA World Cup 2026™ from the world’s biggest sporting event into a platform for access, inclusion and long-term societal impact.
FOX Sports brought its FIFA World Cup 2026™ community-impact strategy to life through an integrated, multi-partner approach designed to connect national scale with trusted local delivery. With the backing of Fox Corporation, FOX Sports aligned its programming, production, talent, digital, social and local-station resources around one shared goal: use the World Cup to make soccer more accessible, inclusive and impactful for young people.
At the center of the strategy were Soccer Forward Fests developed with Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Common Goal and U.S. Soccer. FOX Sports worked with national partners and local Boys & Girls Clubs to identify communities that would benefit most from free, welcoming events that combined soccer clinics, skills activities and celebrations of the game. The local Club model was essential - it allowed each festival to be grounded in an organization that knows its young people and community, while the national collaboration provided a consistent, purpose-driven framework across 20 markets.
FOX Sports also continued its commitment to Create the Space, the youth mental-health initiative launched during FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™ with Common Goal, U.S. Women’s National Team defender Naomi Girma, FOX Sports and Fox Corporation. The next chapter introduced a ten-week program during which organizational leaders across Canada, Haiti, Jamaica, Mexico and the United States took part in a blended learning experience combining digital learning, facilitated workshops and small-group coaching.
A central differentiator is FOX Sports’ longstanding commitment to Common Goal’s 1% movement. As the only national FIFA World Cup broadcaster to take the pledge, FOX Sports pledged at least one percent of its tournament airtime to amplifying the story of soccer for social good. Partner storytelling content was rotated across FOX Sports networks and digital and social platforms, as well as local FOX stations, elevating the voices of community organizations and advocates alongside the competition itself.
The challenge was coordinating a broad ecosystem of national and local partners, as well as FOX Sports teams across multiple platforms, around a cohesive strategy. FOX Sports addressed that complexity through a shared execution plan centered around key FIFA World Cup 2026™ milestones, enabling every partner and platform to contribute to a unified impact narrative.
FOX Sports met its objective of turning FIFA World Cup 2026™ into a platform for access, well-being and lasting social impact.
FOX Sports’ $500,000 investment is creating no-cost access to soccer for more than 26,000 Boys & Girls Club kids. The company also invested $1 million in the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, expanding educational access for 400,000 children worldwide and extending the tournament’s impact beyond the field. Locally, 20 Soccer Forward Fests brought free play, skills development and joyful celebrations to thousands of young people - creating welcoming spaces to play, connect and see themselves in the future of the game.
Working with grassroots soccer organizations in 10 cities across North America, the Create the Space initiative reached 5,000 youth athletes with mental-wellness support designed to help them thrive both on and off the field. This outcome extends the initiative beyond a tournament moment, embedding practical support within the community organizations young people already trust.
As the only national World Cup broadcaster to take Common Goal’s 1% pledge, FOX Sports more than tripled its commitment, dedicating more than 12 hours of tournament airtime to stories of soccer for social impact. Partner storytelling aired across FOX Sports networks and was amplified by local FOX stations, reaching tens of millions of viewers and elevating the organizations, advocates and communities using soccer for good.
Together, these results demonstrate a model that paired national reach with local delivery, making soccer more accessible while investing in the people and organizations shaping its future.
