The Ball is rolling again… it’s the usual scene; maps are being studied and online meetings with folk around the planet are in full force; this time though the journey is anything but usual.
As the world adjusts to the various variant strains of coronaviruses, The Ball is joining forces with the broader sporting community to maximise the power of humanity to care for each other – and the world we live in – by undertaking the most ambitious journey yet.
It will travel to two World Cups across three continents over a whole year to share in the undeniable power of this beautiful game to bring people together and collaborate for the greater good of this ball that we live on. One Ball One World (link to the history of the phrase).
It is the Sixth journey of The Ball kicking off provisionally in July next year from Battersea Park in London where the first official game of football took place in 1864. It will not only head to the FIFA Men’s World Cup in Qatar but it will continue on to the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand (link) which, for the first time ever, is taking place only six months later.
This 23 thousand kilometre journey is highlighting the urgent challenges that climate change poses by travelling as carbon neutral as possible and collecting pledges to promote all efforts to stabilise the health of our planet.