From Oldenburg to Boston, Futbalo Girls in Germany brings joy to more girls through football
The idea for Futbalo Girls was simple – to give girls in the German city of Oldenburg their own space to play football. But that simple idea evolved over two decades into much more.
Today, Futbalo Girls not only introduces girls to football, but also encourages them to become coaches and role models who inspire the next generation. It expands beyond city borders and connects them to global experiences, including the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Over nine days during the summer of the World Cup, eight participants from Futbalo Girls traveled to Boston for the Festival 26, an event that brought together over 400 participants from 17 nations for sporting and cultural exchanges. They participated in leadership and development workshops, played in football tournaments amongst attendees and experienced the quarter-final match between France and Morocco at the Tall Ship Watchparty.
Ezgi, 16, a junior coach at Futbalo Girls, said that despite everyone’s different backgrounds, “we were all connected by a shared passion for football.”
“I had the most amazing time connecting with people from different countries,” she said. “It really opened my eyes to just how valuable these encounters can be. It also ignited a passion in me to explore the world more and connect with even more people from other cultures in the future.”
Such an experience would not have been possible without Futbalo Girls, a programme long supported by Laureus Sport for Good Germany-Austria, opening up dedicated football opportunities.
In Germany, children usually reach sport through a club with membership fees, fixed training times and a performance logic from the first session onwards. For a girl who has never touched a football, that is a high first step and one many are rarely offered.
Futbalo Girls lowers that barrier by going where the girls already are: sessions are run as after-school clubs inside the school day, free of charge, with no registration, no fees and no skill-level requirement. This creates is a safe a setting with no performance pressure, no selection and no bench so that nobody is left out.
“What sets Futbalo Girls apart from a traditional sports club is that we make it as easy as possible to get started with football,” said coach Lisa. “We do this through our after-school clubs. We are not a club that offers a full training session every Tuesday on a practice field; instead, we are integrated into the school setting.”
Over nine days during the summer of the World Cup, eight participants from Futbalo Girls traveled to Boston for the Festival 26, an event that brought together over 400 participants from 17 nations for sporting and cultural exchanges. They participated in leadership and development workshops, played in football tournaments amongst attendees and experienced the quarter-final match between France and Morocco at the Tall Ship Watchparty.
Ezgi, 16, a junior coach at Futbalo Girls, said that despite everyone’s different backgrounds, “we were all connected by a shared passion for football.”
“I had the most amazing time connecting with people from different countries,” she said. “It really opened my eyes to just how valuable these encounters can be. It also ignited a passion in me to explore the world more and connect with even more people from other cultures in the future.”
Such an experience would not have been possible without Futbalo Girls, a programme long supported by Laureus Sport for Good Germany-Austria, opening up dedicated football opportunities.
In Germany, children usually reach sport through a club with membership fees, fixed training times and a performance logic from the first session onwards. For a girl who has never touched a football, that is a high first step and one many are rarely offered.
Futbalo Girls lowers that barrier by going where the girls already are: sessions are run as after-school clubs inside the school day, free of charge, with no registration, no fees and no skill-level requirement. This creates is a safe a setting with no performance pressure, no selection and no bench so that nobody is left out.
“What sets Futbalo Girls apart from a traditional sports club is that we make it as easy as possible to get started with football,” said coach Lisa. “We do this through our after-school clubs. We are not a club that offers a full training session every Tuesday on a practice field; instead, we are integrated into the school setting.”
Two Decades in the Making
The building blocks for Futbalo Girls were forming 26 years ago.
MICK-Mädchen kicken mit (translated from German to “MICK girls kick along”) launched in the northern city of Oldenburg. It was a collaboration with local schools and sports clubs to help girls, particularly from migrant backgrounds, socially integrate through football. Over the years, the project saw different iterations – Mädchen Mittendrin and Kicking Girls – adding elements such as camps, coaching workshops and tournaments.
Through sustained investment and support from Laureus Sport for Good Germany-Austria, the concept was refined, and Futbalo Girls emerged in 2020. While increasing access to football remains central, the programme supports girls to make their own choices and encourages young women to become confident coaches and mentors.
MICK-Mädchen kicken mit (translated from German to “MICK girls kick along”) launched in the northern city of Oldenburg. It was a collaboration with local schools and sports clubs to help girls, particularly from migrant backgrounds, socially integrate through football. Over the years, the project saw different iterations – Mädchen Mittendrin and Kicking Girls – adding elements such as camps, coaching workshops and tournaments.
Through sustained investment and support from Laureus Sport for Good Germany-Austria, the concept was refined, and Futbalo Girls emerged in 2020. While increasing access to football remains central, the programme supports girls to make their own choices and encourages young women to become confident coaches and mentors.
Training More Female Coaches
Futbalo Girls’ concept is scalable and is implemented nationwide in more than 10 cities, either through direct Futbalo Girls programmes or through community partners, making it the largest girls' football initiative outside of organised sports in Germany.
The Inspiring Coach Workshop is one way the programme supports this journey, preparing young women to lead football sessions while better understanding the different barriers girls may face when trying to access the sport.
Ezqi and Emilia both participated in the Inspiring Coach Workshop and went to the Festival 26 in Boston together.
“It’s true some girls aren’t into football before the Futbalo Girls camps,” Emilia said. “That’s why some girls who don’t play football were afraid they wouldn’t be good enough and might get put down, and I think Futbalo Girls handles that really well.
“They designed the exercises relatively easy, and once that worked, they could just raise the difficulty level and make it harder. Because it’s easy at first, I think the girls gained confidence and said ‘OK, now let’s do the harder ones.’”
Emilia was invited by one of the programme site coordinators to help with a camp, and that gave Emilia a taste of what coaching would be like. During the camp, Emilia found herself relating with the younger girls, and wanted to get more involved as a coach with Futbalo Girls.
“I’d gone through that experience myself, where at some point I wasn’t allowed to play with the boys because the coach wouldn’t let me,” Emilia said. “When I learned in the Inspiring Coach Workshop that many girls can’t or aren’t allowed to play football for various reasons, it really helped me respond appropriately.”
Ezgi added: “I have become much better at recognising and handling the emotional needs of young players. When a girl started crying after missing a goal, I was able to step in, listen to her disappointment, and guide her through her frustration by teaching her that performance isn't everything.”
The Festival 26 included young leaders like Ezgi and Emilia from 40 social impact programmes like Futbalo Girls. For Ezgi and Emilia, getting to meet other young people reassured them that football is truly for everyone— and its impact goes beyond the World Cup spectacle.
“It was so inspiring to see all the new friendships being formed,” Emilia reminisced. “We exchanged all sorts of things to keep each other in our memories, and it was so much fun. For example, I swapped my soccer boots for a hat decked out in the colours of South Africa.”
Futbalo Girls is supported by Laureus Sport for Good Germany-Austria, which is part of the wider Laureus Sport for Good global network. Laureus supports over 300 programms across nearly 40 countries using the power of sport to end violence, discrimination and inequality for young people and their communities. Nearly 10,000 female coaches have been trained, helping strengthen sports-based programmes that create safe and inclusive spaces for girls.
The Inspiring Coach Workshop is one way the programme supports this journey, preparing young women to lead football sessions while better understanding the different barriers girls may face when trying to access the sport.
Ezqi and Emilia both participated in the Inspiring Coach Workshop and went to the Festival 26 in Boston together.
“It’s true some girls aren’t into football before the Futbalo Girls camps,” Emilia said. “That’s why some girls who don’t play football were afraid they wouldn’t be good enough and might get put down, and I think Futbalo Girls handles that really well.
“They designed the exercises relatively easy, and once that worked, they could just raise the difficulty level and make it harder. Because it’s easy at first, I think the girls gained confidence and said ‘OK, now let’s do the harder ones.’”
Emilia was invited by one of the programme site coordinators to help with a camp, and that gave Emilia a taste of what coaching would be like. During the camp, Emilia found herself relating with the younger girls, and wanted to get more involved as a coach with Futbalo Girls.
“I’d gone through that experience myself, where at some point I wasn’t allowed to play with the boys because the coach wouldn’t let me,” Emilia said. “When I learned in the Inspiring Coach Workshop that many girls can’t or aren’t allowed to play football for various reasons, it really helped me respond appropriately.”
Ezgi added: “I have become much better at recognising and handling the emotional needs of young players. When a girl started crying after missing a goal, I was able to step in, listen to her disappointment, and guide her through her frustration by teaching her that performance isn't everything.”
The Festival 26 included young leaders like Ezgi and Emilia from 40 social impact programmes like Futbalo Girls. For Ezgi and Emilia, getting to meet other young people reassured them that football is truly for everyone— and its impact goes beyond the World Cup spectacle.
“It was so inspiring to see all the new friendships being formed,” Emilia reminisced. “We exchanged all sorts of things to keep each other in our memories, and it was so much fun. For example, I swapped my soccer boots for a hat decked out in the colours of South Africa.”
Futbalo Girls is supported by Laureus Sport for Good Germany-Austria, which is part of the wider Laureus Sport for Good global network. Laureus supports over 300 programms across nearly 40 countries using the power of sport to end violence, discrimination and inequality for young people and their communities. Nearly 10,000 female coaches have been trained, helping strengthen sports-based programmes that create safe and inclusive spaces for girls.
