Ronaldo, Zidane and friends team up in a match against poverty

Ronaldo and Zinédine Zidane, United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) Goodwill Ambassadors are inviting 40 of their friends from European football clubs to play in a “Match Against Poverty” on 15 December 2003 at the St. Jakob Park Stadium in Basel, Switzerland.

Ronaldo and Zidane will each captain a team of star football players who will contribute their time and talent to raise resources that will help combat poverty and to call upon everyone to get engaged in one way or another. Pierluigi Collina has agreed to referee the match.

“It’s a real thrill to have my friends join me to raise awareness and take a stand against the deprivation that plagues one fifth of the world’s population,” said Ronaldo. “Those who come to watch this match should also realize that they are taking an active part in helping bring hope back to people who are trying their very best to lift themselves out of poverty.”

While during the last decade the proportion of people living in absolute poverty fell from 32% to 23%, these encouraging results have been offset by demographic growth in the poorest areas, leaving 1.2 billion people with less than a dollar a day. Today millions of people still go to bed hungry every night, every minute a woman dies of pregnancy or childbirth, HIV-AIDS continues to spread and destroy families and communities, and a child dies every three seconds from preventable diseases.

Actively supported by FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association), “The Match Against Poverty: Ronaldo and Friends vs. Zidane and Friends,” is included in FIFA’s official events 2003 Calendar. It will kick off after the FIFA World Player Gala, which takes place earlier the same day. FIFA’s President, Joseph S. Blatter says “FIFA is very pleased to support this initiative as a further effort in our corporate social responsibilities with various UN organizations and others to help disadvantaged people, including children. This match against poverty is remarkable because the wish to organize it came from two of the most outstanding players in the world, both former winners of the FIFA World Player Award. I am grateful to both Ronaldo and Zinédine Zidane, and all their friends for their social commitment”.

Top sporting goods manufacturers, Nike and Adidas, are contributing equipment to the Ronaldo and Zidane teams. Net profits of ticket sales, sponsorship and television rights will fund anti-poverty projects selected by UNDP in Africa, Asia, and Latin America and help mobilize people around the globe.

“We invited our colleagues and friends to be on the pitch on 15 December” says Zidane, “but we want football fans and all those who care about poverty to know that we would like to see them in the stands in Basel at 8.00 pm”.

UNDP is the UN's global development network, present in 166 countries. It connects countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build their own solutions to local and national development challenges, from poverty to HIV-AIDS, managing energy and environment, preventing civil strife and assisting in post-conflict recovery. “These football talents join an on-going movement to forge a grand coalition of people who realise that the challenges of poverty directly affect everyone and therefore everyone must contribute to its end,” said UNDP’s Administrator Mark Malloch Brown. “In 2000, world leaders endorsed the goal of halving the proportion of people living in dire poverty by 2015. A world free from extreme poverty is in our reach,” he added.

In partnership with the UNDP, Basel United Stadium-Management and the sports and marketing company Starzone, are working together to organize the match for as many as 30,000 spectators.