Sports for All gearing up to host Global Goals World Cup in Saudi Arabia for second time

RIYADH: The Saudi Sports for All Federation has announced the return of the Global Goals World Cup to Saudi Arabia for the second time. The event will see local teams competing in 13 different regions across the Kingdom for a coveted place in the finals, which will be hosted in Jeddah during October.

Launched in 2015, the GGWCUP is a five-a-side football tournament for all-female teams that was created to take an active role in leading local sustainable development. Women aged 18 years or above are invited to form a team and choose one of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals as the theme they will highlight through the creation of a community initiative.

The teams will be judged not only on the number of goals scored during each game but on their engagement with the crowd, uniforms reflecting their chosen theme and the social impact of the programs implemented prior to the tournament. Participants are encouraged to share their journeys on social media to create engagement and involve the community.

Shaima Saleh Al-Husseini, managing director of the SFA, said: “SFA is proud to host the Global Goals World Cup in Saudi Arabia for the second time, the values of which align closely with our vision of promoting community participation, offering equal access to sports, and building a better society for all. I encourage all women in Saudi to embrace this unique opportunity, whether you are an athlete or completely new to the sport, to showcase leadership capabilities on the global stage while contributing to an enhanced quality of life for communities across the Kingdom.”

In 2021, Saudi Arabia’s Team Kafo claimed victory in the first GGWCUP hosted in the Kingdom before going on to compete in the finals held in Iceland.