FIFA and WHO have agreed to extend their collaboration and continue to use the power of football for promoting healthy lifestyles and equal access to health services worldwide.

 During the seventy-sixth World Health Assembly in Geneva, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and FIFA President Gianni Infantino signed a four-year extension to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which has been in place since 4 October 2019.

 “Health and football are perfect teammates. Promoting healthy lifestyles, safe stadiums and the physical and mental benefits of physical activity are among the many health goals WHO is proud to keep scoring with FIFA for the next four years,” said Dr Tedros.

 “We are proud to have signed and renewed the Memorandum of Understanding with the World Health Organization - we are proud to continue our relationship to pass important physical and mental health messages through our global football audience,” Gianni Infantino said.

 During the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, FIFA and WHO launched the Football Unites the World campaign. Supported by Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Hassan Al-Haydos, Karim Benzema, Lucy Bronze, Giulia Gwinn, Kaká, Robert Lewandowski, Carli Lloyd, Édouard Mendy and Emmanuel Petit as well as by two of the WHO’s Goodwill Ambassadors for Sport and Health, namely Alisson Becker and Didier Drogba, it illustrated football’s unrivalled ability to bring people together.