UN Games & World Football Day ⚽🇺🇳

At the United Nations, we are used to seeing countries come together around negotiating tables. But sometimes, the most genuine connections are built on a football field ⚽

With the GCC Team which made it to the UN Football Game Final, even under heavy rain!

Football has a unique power: it unites people beyond borders, politics and languages. On the pitch, it is not about where you come from, but how you pass, defend, and cheer each other on. In times when the world can feel divided, these moments remind us why we work here—to bring people together, whether through resolutions or a shared goal in the back of the net. This is why the General Assembly passed Resolution A/RES/78/281 proclaiming May 25 as World Football Day.

2024 marks the 100th anniversary of the first international football tournament in history with the representation of all regions, which took place on May 25, 1924, during the summer Olympic games held in Paris. The resolution acknowledges "the global reach of football and its impact in various spheres, including commerce, peace and diplomacy, and recognizing that football creates a space for cooperation."

During the UN football games, colleagues from across missions, agencies, and departments trade suits for jerseys. They ran, competed and made team spirit and fair play universal languages. I went to support the Euro Team and the GCC Team. Congratulations to all teams!

🌍 Here’s to more games, more teamwork, and more unity—on and off the field.