RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesia used the United Nations’ 2026 World Football Day celebration to showcase how football can serve as a platform for youth leadership, mental health awareness, and peacebuilding through its newly launched UniLeague university competition in New York, Wednesday, May 20, 2026.

The high-level event was jointly organized by Bahrain, Libya, and Tajikistan with support from several partner countries. It brought together global leaders and football figures, including president of FIFA, Gianni Infantino.

According to information published on the official UniLeague website, the event formed part of the implementation of a United Nations General Assembly resolution recognizing football’s role in promoting peace, social inclusion, and the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Deputy Permanent Representative of Indonesia to the United Nations in New York, Widya Sadnovic, highlighted the launch of UniLeague as Indonesia’s concrete contribution to using football as a youth-led development tool.

In her remarks, Widya emphasized that the initiative promotes mental health, peacebuilding, and youth leadership through sport.

“Through this initiative, young people are not only competing, but also learning about leadership, self-development, mental health, and resilience in an engaging way,” she said, as quoted by Antara.

As part of the United Nations Youth Office’s global #Football4MentalHealth campaign, UniLeague also aims to encourage young people to become agents of peace within their communities.

“They are empowered to become peace agents in their communities by promoting teamwork, empathy, mutual respect, and solidarity,” she added.

She also described UniLeague as a practical example of how diplomacy can be translated into real action through sports.

The World Football Day 2026 celebrations also featured speeches from world leaders, video messages, and mini football tournaments held at the North Lawn area, reflecting the spirit of unity and cross-border solidarity.

UniLeague itself is a university football competition held across two regions in Indonesia, Jakarta and Bandung.

The Jakarta regional competition features eight teams and takes place at stadiums belonging to Jakarta Muhammadiyah University and University of Indonesia. Meanwhile, the Bandung regional competition includes seven teams and is hosted at the stadium of Bandung Institute of Technology in Jatinangor.

With its competitive format and support from multiple stakeholders, the tournament is expected not only to produce promising football players but also to help shape young athletes who uphold sportsmanship, discipline, and unity. ***