Champions League final: Helping children take centre stage with Paris and Inter

by · UEFA.com

The Champions League final is a career-defining moment for many players, but also an occasion that UEFA seeks to make a truly memorable – perhaps once-in-a-lifetime – experience for fans.

That’s the principle behind the UEFA Foundation for Children’s activities at our club competition finals. The Foundation had already provided hundreds of vulnerable children unforgettable occasions at this year’s Europa League, Women’s Champions League and Conference League finals, and it was no different for the Champions League final.

Children from the UEFA Foundation for Children's partner organisations had the opportunity to meet players from Inter and Paris the day before the matchUEFA via Getty Images

Giving vulnerable children their chance to shine

The day before the match, 30 local children from Háwar.help and Girls4Football visited the iconic Munich Football Arena for an exclusive chance to meet the stars from Paris and Inter. At the fan festival, meanwhile, 18 kids from Stiftung Ambulantes Kinderhospiz München children’s hospice were invited to a special Champions League trophy experience and to play in a football match with legends of the game.

On matchday, 10 lucky youngsters from Girls4Football walked out under the lights of a Champions League final as player mascots, and three from Háwar.help did the same as referee mascots. A further 50 local children received tickets to watch the match, in partnership with Sport dans la Ville and Rêves, while the two finalists’ own foundations – Paris Saint-Germain Foundation and Inter Campus – each gave a child they work with an opportunity to meet the players before kick-off.

Several children also joined the players as mascots at the finalUEFA via Getty Images

The initiatives build on the UEFA Foundation’s work with local associations in Munich during UEFA EURO 2024, which aimed to empower underprivileged children.

The final was an extra-special night for one of the children from Girls4Football. Joining the UEFA president, Aleksander Čeferin, to hand out the medals on the pitch was Laura, from the Asociación Alacrán 1997 – one of the partner organisations of the Girls4Football – which uses football as a tool for social transformation and the development of children and young adults.

Laura has a deep passion for football, living the game with incredible enthusiasm and dedication. She has taken on the role of captain for her age group, demonstrating natural leadership and teamwork.

Laura congratulates Paris captain Marquinhos as he prepares to lift the trophyUEFA via Getty Images

Háwar.help

Háwar.help is a human-rights organisation operating in Afghanistan, Germany and Iraq, alongside international awareness-raising initiatives. Through its SCORING GIRLS programme, it offers young girls from refugee, migrant and socially disadvantaged backgrounds the opportunity to play team sport and provides educational and career guidance.

Set up in 2016 by former professional footballer and Frauen-Bundesliga player Tuğba Tekkal, the initiative aims to leverage football as a springboard for integration and empowerment, especially important in Germany’s culturally diverse cities. To date, the UEFA Foundation has supported Hawar.help’s SCORING GIRLS initiative with €266,000.

Girls4Football

Girls4Football is a social impact initiative launched by Mastercard – a long-term sponsor of the Champions League – in partnership with the UEFA Foundation. It provides inclusive, empowering opportunities for young girls through sport, particularly football, recognising it as powerful vehicle for personal development, social inclusion and gender equality.

Launched in March of this year, the three-year project is being rolled out in France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom, working with partner organisations in each of the five countries. It aims to reach more than 1,000 girls aged eight to 16 in its first 12 months.

Ten years of supporting vulnerable children

The UEFA Foundation for Children celebrated its tenth anniversary this year, marking a decade of impactful work and significant contributions to the lives of disadvantaged children facing daily challenges.

Established in 2015, it has supported 577 projects across 138 countries, reaching nearly five million people. These efforts have promoted children’s rights and used football as a positive catalyst for improvement in areas such as health, education, personal development, inclusion and employability.