This fall, the Ukrainian Football Association and regional football associations will hold «Open Football Festivals» to support children affected by the war.

In August, the UAF organized a special seminar for volunteer leaders from communities participating in the 2025/2026 season project. They, in turn, share their experience with local volunteer teams who will prepare and conduct football festivals for children. The next step is to establish football sections among festival participants.

Photo courtesy of the UAF press service

The festivals attract many children who have not previously engaged in sports, providing psychological support to war-affected children through their favorite game and uniting internally displaced children with local peers.

According to information from regional football associations, the project will be launched this fall by these communities (preliminary schedule):

12.09. — Solonivka village, Kharkiv region, Lyceum No. 1;

19.09. — Berehove town, Zakarpattia region, "Druzhba" stadium;

19.09. — Skvyra town, Kyiv region, "Kolos" stadium;

20.09. — Usatove village, Odesa region, SK "Khadjibey";

24.09. — Lozova town, Poltava region, Gymnasium No. 1;

25.09. — Kyiv city, Training and Preparation Complex for Youth and Junior National Teams of the UAF (festival dedicated to UEFA Mass Football Week);

Photo courtesy of the UAF press service

26.09. — Magdalynivka village, Dnipropetrovsk region, Lyceum;

26.09. — Bobrynets town, Kirovohrad region, "Olympiyets" sports complex;

26.09. — Dunaivtsi town, Khmelnytskyi region, "Kolos" stadium;

27.09. — Sosenytska village community, Chernihiv region, Kudryvka village, "Kudryvka-Arena" stadium;

30.09. — Olesya village, Ivano-Frankivsk region, Lyceum;

04.10. — Novodnistrovsk town, Chernivtsi region, DYSK, Central City Stadium;

11.10. — Baranivka town, Zhytomyr region, DYSK, Central City Stadium.

Photo courtesy of the UAF press service

Later, dates for other communities will be announced. These include:

— Tulchin town, Vinnytsia region, lyceum with enhanced military-physical training;

— Horyniv town, Volyn region, KDYUSK;

— Dnipropetrovsk city;

— Uman town, Cherkasy region (organized by the Donetsk Football Association);

— Strilkivtsi village, Lviv region, lyceum;

— Horodok village, Rivne region, lyceum;

— Boryslav town, Ternopil region, school No. 1; sports complex of the Boryslav Agrarian Technical College;

— Voskennysine village, Cherkasy region, school.

In addition, the Zakarpattia Football Association and Kharkiv Oblast Football Association have already started the season by organizing additional festivals on their own at the end of August — in Kostynivka for local children and children from Kherson, Kharkiv, and Sumy regions, and in Kharkiv city at SK "Nova Bavaria".

Photo courtesy of the UAF press service

The Ukrainian Football Association's «Open Football Festivals» project is:

• youth leadership in communities;
• psychosocial support for children of military servicemen, internally displaced children, and war-affected children;
• unity and friendship among IDP children and local children, social integration;
• an inclusive environment where everyone participates, including children with special educational needs;
• knowledge of safety in wartime conditions;
• the philosophy of mass football — joy from the game instead of any price for results;
• cultivation of a healthy lifestyle;
• volunteer development;
• activation of local communities through cross-sector networks (youth leaders, teachers, coaches, psychologists, security experts, parents, local authorities, benefactors and others).