Black Pearls Academy in Brazil

A group of talented Syrian refugee football players won full scholarships in April 2018 after taking part in a trial which AFDP Global organised with Brazil’s Viva Rio at the Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan. The players are now living in Brazil, receiving an education and training at Black Pearl’s Academy, a high-performance football training academy. This is a powerful example of the social impact football can have.

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A group of talented teenage Syrian refugee football players are now training at Brazil’s Black Pearls Football Academy, thanks to AFDP Global.

They won full scholarships in April 2018 after taking part in a try-out we organised with Viva Rio. At that time, the teenagers were living at the Zataari refugee camp. “Thank you for giving us this rare opportunity to train in Brazil, it’s every player’s dream,” says Ahmad Anjari, one of the winners who recently moved to Brazil. Ahmad and other players are now living, continuing their education, and training to become professional football players at the academy for young athletes from refugee and underprivileged communities in Brazil. “The lives of these talented young players are about to undergo a major transformation,” says AFDP Global chair HRH Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein. “I am excited to witness what the future will hold for them and wish them the best of luck in Brazil.” AFDP Global has worked with Syrian refugees in the Zaatari camp, and across Jordan, in partnership with the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Foundation for Children, since 2012.