By Dr Charles Margerison, Author, Founder, Can Do Kids Worldwide and Amazing People Schools Ltd
On pitches, streets, schoolyards, and any patch of ground flat enough to mark out a goal. No other sports activity commands that number. No other game holds the attention of young people the way football does.
Education via Football
Football does not merely entertain those 500 million children. It shapes them. It educates them — not through words on a page or instructions from a teacher, but through action: the excitement of a game, the discipline of training, and teamwork. Real behaviour, not theory.
Learning from action builds personal character — learning how to be resilient and determined when under pressure, and how to develop both physical and mental strength to compete. That is the extraordinary power of football.
What Football Teaches
Physical Learning
Football builds physical health through action, not lectures. Young players quickly learn that food, rest, and recovery matter — because they want to perform better.
Mental Learning
The pitch is where children learn positive self‑talk under stress — game by game, through experience. Victory and defeat are both learning opportunities.
Social Learning
No one wins alone. Football demands children learn to be competitive and cooperative at the same time — exactly what employers and societies need from the next generation.
Personal Learning — From Experience
I played for my primary school football team in the north of England. We won every match but one — which was a draw — and the learning from that season is something I still value today. We trained together in the cold, celebrated our victories, and when we drew that one match, we came back the following week determined to do better.
Those experiences taught me that sport, health, and happiness are connected. In particular, I learned that being competitive and successful means teamwork. I have carried those lessons through a career that has taken me around the world. That is why I established Football Worldwide.
Fair Play and the Rule of Law
Every game of football has a referee. That figure teaches young players one of the most important lessons of civic life: rules need to be respected, even when we disagree.
Fair play is not a poster on a changing‑room wall. It is a choice made in the moment: to play within the rules when breaking them might go unnoticed; to congratulate an opponent who outplays you; and to shake hands at the final whistle regardless of the scoreline.
"These are not small things. These are the foundations of character."
The 2026 World Cup: A Global Learning Event
In June and July 2026, the FIFA World Cup will bring 48 nations to three host countries. For millions of children, this tournament is not just entertainment — it is a theatre of learning.
Students can discover where Brazil is, and where Cape Verde is. What do they have in common? What languages do they speak? They can travel virtually with the Can Do Kids to Egypt, or Argentina, or New Zealand — exploring differences and similarities between countries. The names of the participating nations raise curiosity and provide opportunities for the greatest geography and social studies lessons on earth.
Gender Representation in Football
The World Cup also provides an opportunity to explore gender representation in football. Today, it is estimated that girls are about one‑third of all players worldwide, and two‑thirds are boys — those who play informally in the streets and on makeshift village pitches.
Football Worldwide: Learning Through Culture, Music, and Global Citizenship
To support educators and students during the 2026 World Cup, we have created a dedicated Football Worldwide website. It brings global learning and citizenship to life for students.
Through candokidsworldwide.com/football, students can go on virtual travel journeys with the international Can Do Kids Band.
They have a "can do spirit" to explore the world, make friends, and learn life skills, which they share with other students. Their manager, Dr Wizby, organises virtual visits to schools in each country and arranges opportunities for the band to meet local fans — sharing the songs, chants, rhythms, and celebrations created by supporters to express pride in their country and team.
This approach aligns directly with FIFA's Global Citizenship priorities, which emphasise respect, inclusion, fair play, cultural understanding, and the enabling of football to unite people across national borders.
Learning from Action
Football is a school of action, and action is the deepest form of learning. Post‑match reflection — what went well, what did not, what to do differently — is a habit of mind that serves young people across every domain of life.
Natural Resilience
Long before a child understands the word "resilience", their body is learning it — sprinting after a ball, lungs burning, choosing not to stop. The child does not run because they must. They run because they want to help a teammate.
Explore Football Worldwide
Football Worldwide is providing free learning resources to educators around the globe. Our mission is to ensure that when the final whistle blows in 2026, the children who have watched the matches have also learned — about nations, cultures, and their fellow students around the world.
"Every child who runs out to play is already learning through being engaged."
About the Author
Dr Charles Margerison is a Psychologist by profession. His doctoral thesis focuses on Experiential Learning in Schools. He was a Professor at Cranfield University in the U.K. and Queensland University in Australia. He is the founder of the Amazing People Trust, and the co‑founder of Emerald Publications.
Classroom Activity Idea
Using a world map, have students locate all 48 nations competing in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Choose one country and research:
- What language do they speak?
- What is the capital city?
- What is the country famous for besides football?
- Name one famous football player from that country.
Extension: Students write a short "match day report" from the perspective of a child supporter from their chosen country — describing what they see, hear, and feel.