We Play Green had the honor of being a key speaker at this year’s Thinking Football Summit in Porto, Portugal, organized by the Portuguese League. This prestigious event brought together the major stakeholders from the world of football to engage in meaningful discussions on a wide range of critical issues impacting football, including the planetary crises.

Representing We Play Green was our Executive Director, Carolina Pettersson Ruiz in the panel discussion of “Green Clubs”.  Alongside Jacopo Romeo, Head of Communications for Udinese Calcio, and Teresa Santos, FC Porto’s Sustainability Manager.

While We Play Green may not represent a football club directly, our organization plays a pivotal role in representing the primary faces of football clubs: the professional football players.

Carolina emphasized our organization’s unique approach, which revolves around activating and assisting professional football players to utilize their influential voices. These players possess tremendous reach and impact, making them powerful advocates for the Green Shift. We work to foster collaborations and partnerships with various stakeholders in the football ecosystem, including clubs, sponsors, national associations, and agents, which all have a role to play in activating the global football family.

Carolina pointed out a critical observation, which is that sustainability guidelines often remain confined to the limits of clubs’ foundations, rather than being fully integrated into a club’s core values and strategic vision. We believe that by making sustainability an integral part of a club’s identity and strategy, we can unlock numerous new revenue opportunities, strengthen communities, and ultimately make a meaningful impact. When we utilize football players as communicators for these vital messages, the impact can be exponential.