One of the key highlights of the final draw for the FIFA World Cup 2026 was the heavy featuring of the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, with the presentation carrying out moving messages from the fund’s advisory board members on the transformative powers of education.

In the video message, FIFA President Gianni Infantino, Global Citizen Co-Founder and CEO Hugh Evans, Australian actor Hugh Jackman, Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira, FIFA Legend Kaká, and Bank of America Co-President Jim DeMare invited the global audience to consider how access to quality education, combined with the joy of the game, can drive meaningful and long-term change, CNBC-TV18 reports.

Infantino revealed that FIFA would donate USD 1 to the fund for every World Cup ticket sold, continuing a similar commitment made at the 2025 Club World Cup.

The FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund was launched at the FIFA World Cup 2025 as a collaborative effort between FIFA and the global nonprofit organisation Global Citizen.

The goal of the fund is to raise USD 100 million to support educational and grassroots sports programmes that help children learn, grow and develop life skills through both classroom learning and sport.

Speaking about the initiative, Hugh Evans of Global Citizen said, “There are 250 million children around the world without access to basic education. The fact that FIFA is using this platform to make sure that over 100,000 children get access to quality education is very powerful.”

He added that the fund has already received donations of over USD 30 million for 2026.

The fund supports community-based organisations that combine education with sport, especially in underserved areas. Eligible groups can apply for grants between USD 50,000 and USD 250,000 to expand programmes that improve learning outcomes and access to play.

The first group of grantees will be announced in early 2026.