Photo courtesy of the Permanent Mission of Uzbekistan to the UN The joint viewing of the Uzbekistan-Colombia match was organized by the Permanent Mission of Uzbekistan to the UN in support of the national team, which is competing at the world championship for the first time. More than a game: the unifying role of football UN
Football during the World Cup is a common topic for diplomats and UN staff. The day before, UN fans gathered in New York to watch the match between the national teams of Uzbekistan and Colombia.
The atmosphere of the meeting was different from usual events at the UN – the participants watched the game together, discussed controversial issues, reacted to dangerous attacks and shared their impressions. For several hours, differences in positions and languages faded into the background – football worked as a common denominator.
The event was organized by the Permanent Mission of Uzbekistan to the UN in support of the national team, which is competing at the world championship for the first time.
Photo courtesy of the Permanent Mission of Uzbekistan to the UN
Speaking to the audience, the Permanent Representative of Uzbekistan to the UN Ulugbek Lapasov noted that the team’s participation in the World Cup was an important event for the country and the result of the fact that attention was consistently paid to the development of sports and support for youth. According to him, this success gives people a sense of pride not only in Uzbekistan, but throughout Central Asia.
During the event, they also talked about the broader role of sports. It was noted that football remains the most popular sport in the world and helps people find common ground regardless of age, culture and background. That is why the UN views football as one of the most powerful tools for social cohesion, promoting gender equality and human rights, as well as strengthening peace.
The 2026 Championship is already in full swing, and interest in the tournament is felt far beyond the stadiums. The final match will take place at New York New Jersey Stadium in New Jersey, just a few kilometers from the UN headquarters. Therefore, the conversation about the role of sport as an instrument of dialogue and mutual respect for New York today sounds especially relevant.
In the UN headquarters these days you can see an exhibition dedicated to the World Cup and the unifying power of football. She talks about a project of the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), which presented a symbolic team of 11 current world-class professional football players who were former refugees. The team captain was UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Alphonso Davies (captain of the Canadian team, born in a refugee camp in Ghana). The squad also included Germany defender Antonio Rudiger. The project aims to draw attention to the potential of refugees.