The U.S. Soccer Foundation has launched “Soccer Will,” a national campaign pledging to reach 10 million children in under-resourced communities by 2030 through expanded access to safe places to play, trained coach-mentors, and new digital tools for families and educators. Framed around the run-up to the 2026 men’s World Cup in North America, the initiative scales up the Foundation’s existing programs and commits at least 30 million dollars to activating mini-pitches and community hubs where kids live, learn, and play.
What Soccer Will Promises
At the heart of Soccer Will is a simple idea: soccer can be a platform for health, mentorship, and community connection when kids have a safe field and a caring adult in their corner. The campaign focuses on three pillars: turning mini-pitches in high-stress, low-income neighborhoods into community hubs, growing the number of trained coach-mentors, and equipping parents and caregivers with tools to support healthy habits beyond organized sessions.
The Foundation says it already serves about one million youth annually and now aims to multiply that impact tenfold by the end of the decade. Social media posts tied to the launch highlight a 30 million dollar commitment by 2030 to “scale proven programs” that are already delivering measurable health and social-emotional benefits.
Origins and Mission of the Foundation
The U.S. Soccer Foundation emerged from the momentum of the 1994 FIFA World Cup, using excess proceeds to create what has become the primary charitable arm of soccer in the United States. Founded with the vision of leaders such as Alan Rothenberg, the Foundation initially focused on grants to state associations, local clubs, and national youth organizations like US Youth Soccer and AYSO, helping fuel growth from grassroots leagues to professional platforms including MLS and women’s pro leagues.
Over more than 30 years, its mission has sharpened around using soccer as a **vehicle** for social impact in underserved communities. The Foundation now defines its core purpose as providing access to innovative play spaces and evidence-based soccer programs that instill hope, foster well-being, and help youth reach their full potential.
Core Programs: Fields, Mentors, and Daily Play
Two flagship efforts underpin Soccer Will’s expansion: field-building and program delivery. The Foundation’s Safe Places to Play and mini-pitch initiatives convert underused or unsafe spaces into small-sided courts that can host free play, structured programming, and community events, often in partnership with MLS clubs, cities, and corporate sponsors. Since its early years, the organization has invested well over 100 million dollars into the game across levels and has supported field projects in every state and Washington, D.C.
On the programming side, the Soccer for Success after-school model combines regular physical activity with nutrition education and mentoring, targeting children who often lack both daily exercise and a consistent adult role model. The Foundation has also built out Coach-Mentor Training, an in-person and online curriculum that helps coaches in any sport strengthen social-emotional skills, create positive team cultures, and better serve youth from diverse racial, gender, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
A New Chapter as 2026 World Cup Nears
Soccer Will builds on earlier campaigns like “It’s Everyone’s Game,” which set goals to reach one million children annually and build 1,000 safe play spaces by 2026. With the U.S. co-hosting the 2026 World Cup, the Foundation is positioning this new effort as the next chapter—aimed at ensuring that the tournament’s spotlight translates into long-term infrastructure and daily opportunities for kids who are often shut out of pay-to-play soccer.
For parents, especially those in under-resourced communities, the Soccer Will framework means more free or low-cost access to soccer close to home, more intentional mentoring, and more resources to support their children’s development off the field. As the youth game wrestles with affordability and equity, the Foundation’s bet is that scaling what already works—mini-pitches, coach-mentors, and evidence-based programming—can turn World Cup energy into lasting change for the next generation.