During the live broadcast of the Football for Friendship Grand Final today, official referee Joanne Brent confirmed that Gazprom International Football for Friendship’s children’s social program has won their 3rd GUINNESS WORLD RECORDSTM title. The successful record attempt took place on May 26 and was officially announced and confirmed in the grand finale of the program’s ninth season on May 29.

On May 26, the Football for Friendship project landed a new GUINNESS WORLD RECORDSTM title for the largest number of visitors to a virtual stadium. Football for Friendship World (F4F World) multiplayer simulator users from over 200 countries took part in this world record attempt.

As the record attempt approached, World Football Ambassador for Friendship, Brazilian football legend Roberto Carlos, sent a motivational message to all participants. “Let’s all be part of a major event. We all participate in the Gazprom Football for Friendship program. We will get this record! Let’s go! he called the young people. They were also supported by two-time Russian football champions Yevgeni Aldonin and Dimitri Sennikov, Russian Footballer of the Year (2004) Dmitry Sychev and Russian Women’s Football Ambassador Elena Ryshkova. Russian TikTok stars Katya and Nastya, as well as Kirill Kolesnikov were also present.

The Football for Friendship World (F4F World) multiplayer football simulator has been specially developed for F4F in 2020. International team matches can be organized on this platform in real time. As of May 24, 2021, the 2021 World Friendship Football Championship (eF4F) with a total of 32 teams and players from over 200 countries has been contested.

Football for Friendship already holds two GUINNESS WORLD RECORDSTM titles. In 2019, F4F achieved a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDSTM title for most nationalities in a football training session. The session took place on May 31, 2019 in Madrid as part of the final events of the seventh season of F4F. The skills course, attended by players of 57 different nationalities, was organized by the director of the Barcelona Youth Football Academy, Miguel Puig, and Josep Gambao, former coach of the FC youth team Barcelona.

On December 5, 2020, a new GUINNESS WORLD RECORDSTM title was earned at the Friendship Football Season 8 closing events for an online training session with the largest number of participants. Young players from over 100 countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, North and South America, Australia and Oceania came together and competed alongside renowned football stars world at this digital football event. In total, over 1,000 participants registered for the course, which was streamed online.

In 2020, World Cup winner, three-time Champions League winner and F4F World Ambassador Roberto Carlos was also present at this successful record attempt. Other sports stars involved were six-time freestyle world champion Melody Donchet, two-time freestyle world champion Anton Pavlinov, French freestyle champion Andreas Cetkovic and many world famous soccer champions and freestyle footballers from different country.

Roberto Carlos, World Football Ambassador for Friendship: “Today, my friends, is a very special day, and you will all be remembered in history. Today we are trying to get a new GUINNESS WORLD RECORDSTM title. I play video games too, and my favorite is the “Football for Friendship World” simulator. And today I will play with you and support you in your attempt to set this new record.

About football for friendship

The international children’s social program Football for Friendship has been organized and managed by Gazprom since 2013. In the previous eight seasons, more than 15,000 children and young people from 211 countries and regions have taken part in the program. And more than 6,000,000 people support the project.

Boys and girls aged 12-14, including children with disabilities, participate in the project as “young players” or “young journalists”. Young players represent different countries and cultures. They show that nationality, gender and physical abilities are not a barrier to becoming a team. Young journalists report on Football for Friendship projects at the International Children’s Press Center. All former participants later become “young ambassadors” of the program and continue to share their experience and promote the universal human values ​​that Football for Friendship represents: friendship, equality, fairness, health, peace, dedication, victory, traditions and honor. .

UEFA, FIFA, football federations and the biggest football clubs in the world, international charitable foundations, famous athletes, politicians and artists support Football for Friendship. The children’s social program has received more than 60 national and international awards in the areas of social responsibility, sport and communication.