11 Sep 500,000 kids have played McDonald’s Fun Football for free!
Last Thursday, McDonald’s Fun Football marked a milestone, celebrating over 500,000 children who have benefited from free football coaching over the past two years, with a once in a lifetime free Fun Football session. Hundreds of children attended the celebrations in Bollington, Cheshire, as they were joined by some of football’s most exciting stars.
The lucky youngsters enjoyed dedicated coaching and playing time alongside Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand, Liverpool captain Virgil Van Dijk, Manchester United and Lionesses forward Grace Clinton, Wales and Leeds United star Daniel James, Former GB Paralympic football captain Jack Rutter, and Scotland captain Rachel Corsie. A truly unforgettable afternoon to inspire the next generation of young footballers in the Northwest.
This year saw the programme build on its success from 2023, with the programme achieving a 23% growth in total participants, 4 months ahead of schedule. As a result, a whopping 500,000 children have taken part in a Fun Football session over the past two years, which is enough kids to fill Wembley Stadium more than 5 times over. 2024 has also seen a huge growth in total hours of free football coaching provision, with the programme delivering 2.1 million hours of free football coaching to children across the UK.
Following the upskilling of more than 800 coaches nationwide Fun Football sessions are now more accessible than ever before, with thousands of children having already taken part in the programme’s new pan-disability and visual impairment sessions. These sessions offer enhanced diversity, equality, inclusion training and ensures coaches can adapt sessions to open Fun Football up for all that want to play.
Liverpool’s Virgil Van Dijk, added: “As a dad myself I want to help more kids get active and start playing, I’m so proud to support a programme that allows them to play, in safe and accessible spaces all for free.”
Former Manchester United and television pundit Rio Ferdinand said: “The McDonald’s Fun Football programme is doing an incredible job of keeping kids out on the pitch. Seeing hundreds of children here today with smiles on their faces is what football is all about. It is so great to witness, and an incredible achievement by McDonald’s that over half a million kids in the past two years, have had the chance to play Fun Football.”
