Photo by Maddie Meyer - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images
CALGARY — Canada midfielder Jessie Fleming is one of 13 players worldwide named to the second edition of FIFA's Player Impact Programme, which backs players building social impact projects away from the pitch.
The nine-month programme gives participants FIFA support, skills, resources and guidance to turn their projects into reality. It kicked off in Boston in June with a three-day Impact Accelerator Workshop attended by 11 of the 13 players, and the cohort will gather again in London, and virtually, in December to present their projects. Education, mental health and equitable access to sport are among the main causes the players are championing.
Fleming is joined in the cohort by Spain's Alexia Putellas, Korea Republic's Casey Phair, Brazil's Gabi Nunes, Japan's Hina Sugita, France's Kenza Dali, Mexico's Maria Sanchez, England's Michelle Agyemang, the United States' Phallon Tullis-Joyce, Zambia's Racheal Kundananji, Nigeria's Rasheedat Ajibade, New Zealand's Rebekah Stott and India's Sunil Chhetri.
The programme's 2025 pilot was women-only. This year's cohort includes a FIFA Women's World Cup winner in Putellas and the programme's first male participant in Chhetri.
"As players and coaches, we spend our careers building a legacy through what we do on the pitch," FIFA chief football officer Jill Ellis, who met the participants in Boston, said in the FIFA release. "Today we have a reach that extends far beyond 90 minutes. Through social media and the platforms available to us, we have an incredible opportunity not only to connect with fans, but to influence communities, create opportunities for others and drive meaningful change. That's the kind of impact that lasts well beyond the final whistle."
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