The Ball 2010

The Ball 2010’s journey is a celebration of the excitement and benefit that football brings to the myriad of communities that it encounters on the way to the world’s greatest sporting event. On its epic journey to the World Cup, it is played with in organized games of football, in impromptu kick–abouts and in freestyle sessions. From street to stadium, anyone and everyone can engage with The Ball, sign it, kick it and help it along its way.

Some of the highlights will surely be the visits by The Ball 2010 to special events organised by our partners Special Olympics at their centres throughout Africa. These events include music, dance, freestyle — and games of football to Unified Sport™ rules where teams feature athletes with and without intellectual disabilities.

Everyone is invited to play.

On every journey to the World Cup, many thousands of ordinary people make direct contact with The Ball, whether by chance in the street or by attending events, playing with it, signing it and helping it along its way. The Ball brings the World Cup closer to people who wouldn’t otherwise experience it first hand. At the same time, The Ball introduces its audience to the great work that its partners are doing — and shows them the vibrant cultures of the places it visits.

All this helps The Ball 2010 extend the impact of the World Cup from the host country to the wider region and the African continent itself. We really need your support to make a lasting difference.

There are two ways you can make a difference…

Donate to The Ball!

The Ball is run by Spirit of Football CIC, an independent, fan-led, Community Interest Company registered in the UK. Of course we’d prefer to sell you stuff, but for now all we have to sell is the journey and its legacy. We ask your support to make The Ball the very best it can be — both for your reading and viewing pleasure and for the worthwhile organisations who stand to benefit from it. Please use the donate button at the top of the page.

Donate a ball — or three!

Through The Ball 2010, you can help Alive & Kicking reach their goal of donating 100,000 balls to children across sub–Saharan Africa by the start of the 2010 World Cup. As part of this campaign, Alive & Kicking footballs donated by you will be transported by DHL to Special Olympics programmes in the African countries that The Ball 2010 is visiting. Donate to Alive & Kicking through our JustGiving page.

“Die Reise ist eine tolle Idee, Menschen durch die Liebe zum Fußball zusammen zu bringen. Ich kenne das aus meiner Bremer Mannschaft – der Fußball verbindet. Da ist es völlig egal, wo man herkommt, welcher Religion man angehört oder welchen Charakter man hat. Ich wünsche Andrew und seinem Team viel Erfolg und unvergessliche Erlebnisse auf seiner Tour in Richtung Südafrika.”
– Clemens Fritz

Andrew translates this as:

“The trip is a fantastic idea to bring people together through their common love of football. I know that from my team at Werder Bremen – football connects people. Because it does not matter where you come from, what religion you belong to or whatever temperament you have. I wish the Spirit of Football team every success and unforgettable experiences on this tour to South Africa.”