Soccer Takes Center Stage in Miami as New School Year Kicks Off

We’ve teamed up with the FIFA World Cup 2026 Miami Host Committee to launch a strategic alliance that will positively impact the lives of more than 30,000 youth across the region by the end of 2026!

This collaboration builds on the Miami-Dade Soccer Initiative, launched in 2023 with Griffin Catalyst, and The Children’s Trust to create more than 50 mini-pitches in under-resourced communities across the area. Together, we will expand access to mini-pitches and scale programs that improve health and well-being through soccer.

“We are proud of our longstanding support of sports as a mechanism to improve the lives of children and their families,” said The Children’s Trust President & CEO James R. Haj. “Collaboration on communitywide projects like this is essential to ensure our neighborhoods are safe places for children and youth to play, to learn, and to thrive.”

To celebrate the partnership, we joined local leaders and families at Children’s Home Society for a back-to-school event and the opening of a new mini-pitch funded by Citadel founder and CEO Ken Griffin. The event also marked the launch of Just Ball at the site, with support from Vita Coco, and the upcoming release of Yes, Coach!™ — an initiative with Stand Together Foundation to harness cultural milestones to drive social impact through youth sports mentorship.

Through the partnership with the FIFA World Cup 2026 Miami Host Committee, we’ll train 750 coaches as mentors and expand Just Ball programming to new sites across the region. Since launching in Miami-Dade in 2023, Just Ball has engaged more than 11,000 youth in free, pick-up style play led by trained coaches called Playmakers, who foster creativity, agency, and community.

We’re proud to work alongside our partners to ensure the World Cup leaves a lasting legacy for youth and families for years to come – on and off the field.