FOOTBALL – ASIAN Football Confederation (AFC) president and Fifa first vice-president, Bahrain’s Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, opened the 2025 Dream Asia Foundation Conference, organised by the AFC in Riyadh in cooperation with the United Nations Football for the Goals (FFTG) initiative.
Hosted by the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, the conference brought together a group of experts and officials from across and beyond Asia to discuss topics including child protection, youth empowerment, gender equality, and social inclusion, as well as to review the AFC’s leading social responsibility initiatives.
In his opening address, Shaikh Salman said the Dream Asia Foundation has become a leading model in using football as a tool for positive social change, noting that AFC programmes have “touched the lives of thousands across the continent” through cooperation with member associations and international partners.
He emphasised that since the launch of the Dream Asia Foundation, the AFC has sought to reinforce the idea that football is not just a sport played on the pitch, but a powerful means to unite people, build communities, and promote values of respect, equality, and tolerance.
Shaikh Salman highlighted that over the past eight years, the AFC has made significant progress in social responsibility by implementing developmental and humanitarian initiatives across most national and regional member associations. He said these efforts have had a tangible impact in supporting children and youth, empowering women, and promoting inclusivity in football.
Shaikh Salman added that these achievements were made possible through the cooperation of the AFC’s partners and their shared belief that football can be a positive force for change.
The conference included participation from representatives of the UN, the Union of European Football Associations (Uefa), Fifa, and several international organisations. Participants discussed means to use football to support sustainable development goals and enhance humanitarian and social engagement.
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