Sometimes, the real victory isn’t about goals or league tables. It’s about changing lives, one young person at a time. This kind of win recently earned the Benfica Foundation the Liga Portugal’s monthly Social Responsibility Award for June. The honor highlights their ‘Community Champions League’ project, a brilliant initiative that uses sport to bring people together. This marks the first such award given under the new leadership of Reinaldo Teixeira.
Carlos Moia from the Benfica Foundation accepted the award. He shared his appreciation for Liga Portugal. He also spoke about how important it is to work with the Football Foundation. The project connects young people to their neighborhoods through soccer. He made it clear that getting three points in a game means little here. If players aren’t disciplined or don’t help their community, those points vanish. This powerful idea has spread across Lisbon, with nearly half of the city’s parishes now taking part.
Bernardo Azevedo, Liga Comercial’s General Director, also praised the program. He stressed how vital these community actions are. He noted that football’s passion can be a strong force. It helps us give back, make people stronger, and teach those who truly need it. The Football Foundation plays this role, and the Benfica Foundation has done it outstandingly with this effort. He promised that they will support and highlight many deserving causes throughout the new season.
The Benfica Foundation runs this project in partnership with Gebalis. It’s also part of a larger European network called the European Football for Development Network (EFDN). This initiative began in 2019. It focuses on helping young people from tough backgrounds find their place in society. It cleverly mixes sport with education and helping others. The goal is to grow active, aware citizens, not just good athletes. Participants learn key values like respect, hard work, teamwork, understanding, and inner strength.