World Football Summit (WFS) is thrilled to announce the participation of Nobel Prize-winning Professor Muhammad Yunus at its flagship event, WFS Europe, taking place on September 20-21 in Sevilla. The renowned social entrepreneur will shed light on the transformative power of football to foster positive global change.
Through its platform, WFS prides itself on championing individuals who leverage the power of football and sports for greater societal impact. Over the years, it has partnered with the likes of Common Goal to donate part of its ticketing revenue to the victims of the conflict in Ukraine, has helped organize the most inclusive match in the world in collaboration with Real Betis and Integrated Dreams, and has pledged to welcome a minimum of 30% of female speakers to its panels.
Moreover, at its annual WFS Awards Gala, World Football Summit includes winners from 3 different categories that recognize organizations from all over the world who are driving positive change through sport such as the Marcus Rashford Award, the Football for All Award or the Football For Good Award.
Professor Yunus exemplifies this mission through his groundbreaking work at the Yunus Sports Hub (www.YunusSportsHub.com), which returns to WFS Europe as partner, where young people, athletes and industry leaders are empowered. In addition to the Nobel Peace Prize, he is also the recipient of numerous international awards for his ideas and endeavors, and has received all three highest US Civilian awards (Presidential Citizens Medal, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal). Prof. Yunus is one of only seven people in history that has received these awards, along with recipients Martin Luther King Jr., Mother Teresa and Nelson Mandela. In 2009, Forbes named Professor Yunus one of its “10 Most Influential Business Gurus.”
“It’s an extraordinary honor to welcome Prof. Yunus to World Football Summit,” stated Jan Alessie, Co-founder and Director at World Football Summit. “His unwavering commitment to social entrepreneurship mirrors our dedication to a football industry that prioritizes global betterment.”
Prof. Yunus expressed his enthusiasm, stating, “Joining WFS Europe is an exciting opportunity. Together, we can further the discourse on football’s potential as a force for global good. In our lifetime we can create a world of three zeroes; zero poverty, zero unemployment and zero net carbon emissions. Sport is fundamental to human beings and will be fundamental to achieving these goals.”
In 2022, the Yunus Sports Hub focused on the following key areas of work:
• Inspiring and training future and current social entrepreneurs.
• Helping athletes to create and accelerate their social impact while generating income.
• Developing a generation of socially conscious future leaders within the sports industry.
• Helping organizations transition towards more sustainable revenue streams.
Among the positive impact it has created, the following figures stand out:
• 3,650 current and future social entrepreneurs received training.
• 93 social entrepreneurs were accelerated.
• 32 new social businesses were created.
Out of the above, 32% of entrepreneurs supported were based in Africa and 56% of programme participants identified as women and girls.
On the other hand, World Football Summit is the biggest platform dedicated to the football industry. Since its inception in 2016, WFS has successfully attracted over 22,000 attendees across 17 events and has built a global community of 90,000+ sports industry executives throughout its platforms. Top names in the industry, including Gianni Infantino, Fatma Samoura, Ronaldo Nazario, Samuel Eto’o, Peter Moore, and Cindy Parlow- Cone have participated, showcasing the event’s significance in the global football landscape.
Media members are invited to join us at WFS Europe, where pivotal discussions will center around the evolution of football into a more sustainable, inclusive, and impactful industry.
