FIFA Legends

This year has seen the emergence of an unprecedented health crisis that has affected society both locally and globally: the coronavirus pandemic. FIFA took a leading role right from the beginning of football’s fightback against the coronavirus by making good on its established partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO).

By working with football legends and star players, FIFA has been able to spread important public health messages through social media to wider regional and global audiences than it ever could on its own.

The various social media campaigns have shown that the communication power that can be gained by combining audiences can get important messages out faster and further, and even help save lives.

COVID-19: health comes first

From the very beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, the FIFA Legends put themselves at the service of the football community and wider society, reminding everyone that health comes first and helping to spread important messages about staying safe, keeping active and thanking the real heroes (health workers and others key professionals) for their sacrifices.

Passing on the message

As the public health crisis developed rapidly early in the year, spreading across borders and through communities in a matter of days and weeks, FIFA and the WHO teamed up to combat the coronavirus by launching a new awareness campaign.

In March, led by world-renowned footballers – both FIFA Legends and current stars – the “Pass the message to kick out coronavirus” campaign promoted five key steps for people to protect their health in line with WHO guidance, focused on hand washing, coughing etiquette, not touching your face, physical distance and staying home if feeling unwell.

In total, 38 players past and present were involved in the joint FIFA-WHO video campaign, which was published in 16 languages and was viewed millions of times around the world.

At the virtual launch of the campaign at WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, “FIFA and its President Gianni Infantino have been actively involved in passing the message against this pandemic since the very beginning. Be it through campaigns or funding, FIFA has stood up to the coronavirus, and I am delighted that world football is supporting WHO to kick out the coronavirus. I have no doubt with this type of support that together we will win.”

Rivals united to promote fitness

Teaming up with the WHO and the United Nations for the UN International Day of Sport for Development and Peace on 6 April, FIFA enlisted the stars of rival clubs to send out a unified message of encouragement to populations forced into more confined lifestyles as a result of local and national lockdowns.

Under the hashtag #BeActive, rivals including Trent Alexander-Arnold of Liverpool and Marcus Rashford of Manchester United, and Sergio Ramos of Real Madrid and Gerard Piqué of FC Barcelona recorded video statements of unity as they told fans how they could stay fit and active despite limited opportunities to leave their homes. The videos were posted on the WHO’s YouTube account and promoted via the FIFA, UN and WHO Twitter accounts.

In addition, through its partnership with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), FIFA promoted the #BeActive message to more localised audiences through national men’s and women’s football heroes in each of the ASEAN states.

ASEAN Secretary-General Dato Lim Jock Hoi said “Football and sports in general have the power to bring people together through a shared interest, promoting an active lifestyle and bringing ASEAN together as one community. They are instrumental in enhancing camaraderie amongst the youth who are the future of our ASEAN community. The campaign will raise awareness amongst football fans and our larger community on the importance of leading healthy and active lifestyles.”

Legends lead the applause for frontline heroes

These is no doubt that health workers and others key professionals were the real stars of 2020, continuing to work and make sacrifices for others despite the worsening pandemic.

In April, 50 of football’s biggest stars showed their support for humanity’s heroes by applauding their efforts in a social media clip. From the likes of David Beckham, Yaya Touré and Carli Lloyd to Zinedine Zidane, Marta and Pelé, they all paid tribute to “humanity’s heroes” helping to keep the rest of society running.

Carli Lloyd explained, “To recognise the risks that doctors, nurses and other essential workers are having to take on a daily basis, football wants to show its support. They are on the front line of the coronavirus battle, working as a team to defend us, to protect us and to keep us healthy. It is thanks to their dedication and professionalism, supported by everyone else’s absolute commitment to following the rules of each national health authority, that we will win.”

Sharing a message of domestic peace

In August, FIFA joined forces with the African Union, the WHO and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to jointly address the issue of domestic violence by launching the #SafeHome campaign across the African continent.

The initiative aimed to support women and children victims of domestic violence, particularly as stay-at-home measures in response to COVID-19 had put them at greater risk. A number of African football stars supported the campaign via video awareness messages distributed on social and traditional media.

The #SafeHome campaign was launched as part of a wider global initiative – including in Europe, where FIFA partnered with the WHO and the European Commission – to raise awareness on this critical issue.

In Africa, the awareness videos featured nine football stars – Abel Xavier, Emmanuel Amuneke, Sarah Essam, Khalilou Fadiga, Geremi, Rabah Madjer, Lúcia Moçambique, Asisat Oshoala and Clémentine Touré – who conveyed a series of key messages to the public.

The campaign was published on various FIFA digital channels and African Union and WHO channels. #SafeHome is also being supported by multimedia toolkits for FIFA’s member associations and for media to help facilitate additional localisation and to further amplify the message worldwide.

Unrivalled reach

It is difficult to measure the exact effectiveness of such social media campaigns, given that they are designed to influence people’s behaviour in their individual, everyday lives. While COVID-19 has taken a serious toll in many countries, the situation may have been graver without the campaigning of footballers to spread vital information.

It is to be hoped that the important messages hit home with the audiences and helped individuals to practice safer, healthier behaviour during the pandemic, both for the good of themselves and those around them. However, some figures tell their own story.

Combined, the coronavirus campaigns involving FIFA Legends reached audiences in 190 countries around the world, thanks to amplification by 136 member associations, and were viewed more than 300 million times.

This tells us enough about the influence that respected players command, long after their playing careers are over. FIFA Legends and, indeed, any local or national football legends have a great deal to offer their former clubs, leagues and national teams and they can reach the kinds of audiences that those institutions can only dream of.

In the case of the FIFA Legends’ coordinated response to the coronavirus pandemic, it has all been for the benefit of humanity.