UEFA names 2025 26 Grassroots Awards winners

UEFA has announced the winners of its 2025/26 Grassroots Awards, recognising five gold-winning programmes from Lithuania, the Netherlands, Scotland, Sweden and Ukraine.The awards span five categories and are presented in partnership with EA Sports FC and Lidl, with gold winners receiving €10,000, silver winners €6,000 and bronze winners €4,000 to support delivery.Olivier Doglia, UEFA’s chief of football development, said: “Grassroots football is where the love of the game begins. These awards celebrate the people and organisations who create positive, inclusive environments for players of all ages and abilities.”Representatives from the winning initiatives received their awards at a ceremony at UEFA’s headquarters in Nyon on March 31, underlining UEFA’s focus on grassroots delivery as a measurable development pillar alongside elite competitions.BK Häcken took gold for Best Initiative by a Professional Football Club after building a collaborative network with 16 grassroots clubs in the Gothenburg region, supporting coach, player and club development for 3,000 children.Heart of Midlothian won silver in the same category, with Budapest Honvéd FC taking bronze.Pollok United won Best Grassroots Club for its work transforming and reopening disused sporting facilities in Glasgow to create a community hub combining football with health and wellbeing activity.Club manager Andy Elliott said: “Every team that comes here are seen as a partner and will get the same welcome and opportunity.” Boldklubben Union won silver, with Football Club Pobrežje Maribor taking bronze.The Royal Dutch Football Association’s Coaching Girls Module won Best Education Initiative, a research-led programme designed to help coaches better understand the needs of girls and create safer, more supportive environments.The programme has reached 50,000 users through online content, tools and workshops, with Sweden’s Fotbollslyftet earning silver and Primary Playbook from the Republic of Ireland taking bronze.Lithuanian Football Federation’s Primary School League – Challenge Month won Best Participation Initiative, combining football, physical activity and educational tasks linked to healthy living and school subjects.The initiative involved more than 220 schools and over 10,000 children, with Denmark’s DBU Kids Club winning silver and Barclays Girls’ Football in Schools in England taking bronze.Ukraine’s League of the Mighty won Best Disability Initiative after establishing a national amputee football structure with 20 teams and a two-division championship, alongside training for officials and support staff.The Ukrainian Association of Football programme has created playing opportunities for more than 500 players, with Serbia’s KMF Mungosi winning silver and Kazakhstan’s UNI Football League taking bronze.UEFA said candidates are nominated by its 55 member national associations, with winners selected by the UEFA Development and Technical Assistance Committee following recommendations from the UEFA Grassroots Panel.