The rural Canadian city of Chilliwack in British Columbia has celebrated the FIFA World Cup 2026™ with a TeamUp Soccer Festival, providing local children with an accessible means to play football. Supported by the FIFA Foundation, the TeamUp Soccer Festival saw more than 200 children from seven local schools come together for a celebration of sport designed to foster connection, confidence, inclusion and belonging – which included an adaptive sports programme for children with disabilities. The festival was one of two events in the province to celebrate the FIFA World Cup 2026, with the city of Burnaby holding a similar festival a day before.

A Canadian non-profit organisation, TeamUp uses sport to create safe spaces, build community and support children. It is one of eight FIFA Foundation Community Programme-supported organisations located across the host countries, Canada, Mexico and the United States. TeamUp works in seven countries alongside local leaders and partner organisations to create a lasting impact through sport and community-based programmes, reaching more than 10,000 children around the world each week.

Graham Roxburgh, Executive Director at TeamUp Canada, said that giving children access to sport is crucial for their social development. “Sport has such great impact: it can impact a life, it can impact a family, it can impact a community. It's about opportunity, it's providing the youth a space where they can belong, grow and nurture their relationships,” he said. “Ultimately, sport provides a space where they can feel included. “Having the FIFA World Cup being held at the same time as the festival has been crucial. The children are seeing the commercials on television, they’re seeing it in the media and on social media, they know a big event has come into their backyard. So what we are doing gives them an opportunity to play and start dreaming that ‘maybe one day I could be like him’ – it’s an incredible opportunity to use sport as a way of seeing them grow."

Through grants and technical assistance, the FIFA Foundation Community Programme partners with local organisations that harness the power of football to tackle social challenges and support underprivileged children and young people in their communities. Almost one million people have benefitted from its initiatives. In the 2025-2026 cycle, support is being provided to 139 non-governmental organisations in 57 countries, which are delivering football-based initiatives that promote education, inclusion, gender equality and social cohesion.

“Without the generous support of the FIFA Foundation, I'm not sure today would have happened. There are lots of needs in the community of Chilliwack and the FIFA Foundation has provided resources, helped us with finances and given us coaching and guidance on what other groups have done,” Mr Roxburgh said. Chilliwack is considered an under-served city for sport where a significant number of families cannot afford to put their children into clubs. Events like the TeamUp Soccer Festival are important for such communities to lower barriers and increase accessibility – which is key for children to excel according to Carol Goh, Pastor for Outreach at Chilliwack Alliance Church, who assists with TeamUp’s football programmes.

“We love opening soccer up to children who have barriers because of finances or education, or maybe some behavioural disorders, because we find that they want so badly to be involved. Children are looking for a sense of identity, and we can give them a sense of identity through belonging in sport,” she said. “When a child is able to engage in sport, they're getting out of the house and having face-to-face interactions with other children, instead of just online interactions. Team sport is essential to keep these skills alive and give these children confidence.”