Spirit Of Football Community Interest Company

What Spirit Of Football Community Interest Company does

Spirit of Football Community Interest Company is a UK-registered not-for-profit (Company No. 06827502, registered 23 February 2009) founded by Christian Wach and Phil Wake after their experience at the 1998 FIFA World Cup. The organization produces and stewards "The Ball" — a symbolic football it positions as football's equivalent to the Olympic Torch — which travels overland from Battersea Park, London, to each FIFA World Cup Opening Ceremony on a quadrennial cycle, with completed journeys to Japan/Korea (2002), Germany (2006), South Africa (2010), Brazil (2014), Russia (2018), and the Women's World Cup 2023 in Australia and New Zealand (2022–2023).

The core product is not a commercial technology platform but a recurring programme of community engagement delivered along The Ball's route: school workshops under the "One Ball, One World" curriculum, football tournaments, diplomatic events, and advocacy activities focused on FairPlay, Climate Action, and Gender Equality. Supporting outputs include the theball.tv companion website, YouTube journey documentaries, and event products such as "The World COP" at COP26 (Glasgow, November 2021). Regional operations are managed through separate non-profit associations in Germany (Spirit of Football e.V., Erfurt, founded by Andrew Aris) and Brazil (Spirit of Football Brasil, São Paulo, founded by Fernando Godoy), operating under a distributed governance model with no parent company or external institutional investment.

The revenue model is donations, grants, and in-kind partnership support — programmes are offered free of charge to participants. Key institutional partners have included DHL Express (logistics, 2010), Special Olympics (events across 16 Sub-Saharan African countries), FC Barcelona and Corinthians (brand and Foundation support, 2014), and Alive & Kicking (ball production, 2010). The organization reaches an estimated 100M viewers via FIFA TV syndication and 30M per BBC World Service programme; the 2022–2023 journey alone delivered 100+ workshops across 21 countries and collected over 13,000 pledges.

Name

Spirit Of Football Community Interest Company

Legal name

Spirit of Football Community Interest Company

Website

https://spiritoffootball.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Spirit of Football Community Interest Company is a UK not-for-profit that produces "The Ball," a symbolic football travelling quadrennially to each FIFA World Cup Opening Ceremony. It delivers school workshops, community football events, and advocacy programmes on FairPlay, Climate Action, and Gender Equality across 20+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports Education and Social Impact Programs

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620), Spectator Sports (7112)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Sport-Specific Amateur Leagues & Circuits (Non-Professional) (MPAKACAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Club Sports Programs (EDALAIAB), College/University Sports Events (NCAA & equivalents) (MPAGAMAE)

Keywords

• Community interest company
• Football education programs
• Social impact football
• Fair play advocacy
• Global citizenship education

Headquarters

HQ city

Cheltenham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: Spirit of Football CIC is a not-for-profit organization that operates through donations, grants, and partnership support. No commercial revenue model is described.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Spirit of Football CIC is a not-for-profit Community Interest Company that operates "The Ball," a symbolic football that travels from Battersea Park in London to each FIFA World Cup Opening Ceremony. The organization delivers school-based education programs (One Ball, One World), football workshops on FairPlay, Climate Action and Gender Equality, advocacy and event activations in partnership with NGOs, football clubs, governments and corporate sponsors across 20+ countries.

Product overview

Spirit of Football CIC is a not-for-profit community interest company that operates The Ball as its core product—the symbolic football equivalent to the Olympic Torch. The Ball travels from Battersea Park in London to each FIFA World Cup Opening Ceremony, promoting FairPlay, Climate Action, and Gender Equality. The portfolio includes The Ball TV (theball.tv) companion website documenting journeys, the 'One Ball, One World' education programme with school curriculum modules, and The World COP climate action events at COP conferences. The company maintains regional operations in the United Kingdom (headquarters), Brazil, and Germany.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Ball: A legendary football serving as football's equivalent to the Olympic Torch. Every four years, it travels from Battersea Park in London to the Opening Ceremony of the World Cup, uniting people around themes of FairPlay, Climate Action, and Gender Equality.

Products and services

• The Ball The Ball is football's equivalent to the Olympic Torch; a legendary football that travels from Battersea Park in London to each FIFA World Cup Opening Ceremony, carrying messages of unity, fair play and social impact.
• One Ball, One World Award-winning school education programme featuring storytelling, video, slideshows, fair-play football, music, art, dance, and theatre. Curriculum modules are delivered to children along The Ball's route in schools across multiple countries.
• The World COP An event hosted at United Nations COP climate conferences in collaboration with Cooldown Sport for Climate Action Network, featuring Fair Play Football tournaments and climate action advocacy activities.
• The Ball TV (theball.tv) A companion website that documents the travels and activities of The Ball, providing blog updates, press coverage, and multimedia content about the initiative and its journey to each FIFA World Cup.

Quantifiable outcome

• The Ball reached an estimated 100 million viewers through FIFA TV programming and 30 million per BBC World Service radio programme.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Cool Down - Sport for Climate Action NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Growing global network of 40 agencies and individuals united in protecting the world and sports using sports platforms to drive change. Spirit of Football collaborated to host 'The World COP' at COP26 in Glasgow.
• PledgeballminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2021Partner organization for The World COP event at COP26. Sustainable lifestyle pledge platform used for event registration.
• FC BarcelonacoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2014Announced support for Spirit of Football. Players signed balls and made promotional videos. FC Barcelona Foundation supported the initiative reaching 100+ poor schools and communities in Brazil to foster values derived from football.
• Corinthians (São Paulo FC)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2014Brazilian football club partnered with Spirit of Football for social football initiatives during 2014 World Cup. Joint efforts for a more solidarity-focused football.
• DHL Express Sub-Saharan AfricacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010In 2010, DHL delivered The Ball by road and air from Senegal to South Africa. They ensured The Ball was present at events, organized cavalcades around cities, helped get visas, and sent video footage to partners. Hundreds of DHL employees helped The Ball along, passing it across national borders. DHL staff met decision-makers including the President of Zambia and Prime Minister of Togo.
• Alive & KickingcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010The Ball 2010 was made in Kenya by the social enterprise Alive & Kicking. It was repaired and serviced at their stitching factories in Kenya and Zambia during its 138-day pilgrimage. Alive & Kicking also donated balls to Special Olympics projects throughout Sub-Saharan Africa.
• Special OlympicscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpecial Olympics organized a series of high-profile public events for The Ball in 16 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. Events featured Unified Football where mixed teams comprise players with and without intellectual disability. Political leaders attended and pledged support on national TV. Participation strengthened internal communities and press coverage helped kick-start Special Olympics Global Football Initiative.
• Freestyle Football FederationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe governing body for freestyle football, promoting the sport as a natural approach to developing skill and staying fit. Represents regional and national networks of up to 100,000 freestylers. Provides information portal and social platform connecting freestyle enthusiasts worldwide.
• GameChangersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBusiness communication and brand strategy company using improvisation techniques. Collaborates with Spirit of Football team and partners to design improvisational brand strategies enabling them to Connect, Adapt and Deliver on a global scale via participation in The Ball narrative.
• Pintando a LiberdademinorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrazilian rehabilitation program for prisoners that rewards good behaviour and up-skills. The Ball 2014 was made by prisoners enrolled in this programme.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Laureus Sport for Good Foundation: Global foundation funding sport-for-development programs in 100+ countries with $150M+ disbursed since 2000. Comparable sport-as-social-impact thesis; Spirit of Football could be considered a potential grantee or partner in Laureus's portfolio.
• Right To Play: Established international NGO using sport and play for child development across 20+ countries. Larger scale ($50M+ annual budget) and broader programmatic scope, but shares Spirit of Football's sport-based-education-for-children mission and multi-country operating model.
• FIFA Foundation: Charitable arm of FIFA funding social impact projects through football worldwide. Spirit of Football has engaged with FIFA TV programming and World Cup opening ceremonies, making this both a peer ecosystem actor and potential institutional funder/partner.
• Special Olympics: Global organization for athletes with intellectual disabilities, with which Spirit of Football partnered for Unified Football events in 16 Sub-Saharan African countries. Larger scale and broader disability-inclusion scope; a partner rather than direct competitor.

Direct peers

• One World Futbol: Social enterprise producing nearly indestructible soccer balls for humanitarian distribution. Comparable football-for-impact mission, though focused on product distribution rather than journey/symbolic-advocacy model like The Ball.
• Alive & Kicking: Social enterprise that manufactures sports balls in developing countries (Kenya, Zambia). Direct partner with Spirit of Football (made The Ball 2010) and operates in the same football-for-social-impact space, though focused on manufacturing/employment rather than symbolic advocacy journeys.
• Common Goal: Football-based social impact collective founded by Jürgen Griesbeck. Pools funding from professional footballers (1% of salary pledge) and distributes to grassroots football-for-good organizations globally. Shares Spirit of Football's football-as-unifying-force premise and international NGO network model.
• streetfootballworld: Global network of 100+ organizations using football for social development. Operates as a network/facilitator connecting grassroots football-for-good initiatives with corporate and institutional funders. Highly comparable mission and constituency.

Emerging players

• Coaches Across Continents: US-based non-profit implementing sport-for-social-impact curricula across 25+ countries. Comparable soccer-focused education-and-development model, though more curriculum-driven and less narrative/event-driven than Spirit of Football.
• Football for Peace: UK-based charity founded by former Israeli and Palestinian footballers using football diplomacy in conflict regions. Highly comparable sport-as-peacebuilding thesis and British origin, but smaller scale and more focused on Middle East than Spirit of Football's global route.

Market position

Strengths3 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/the_ball
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/theballtv
• Facebookfacebook.com/theball.tv
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/spirit-of-football-cic

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Spirit Of Football Community Interest Company