Inspiring the next generation of football talent

Scotland men’s team return to the World Cup is an opportunity to ‘inspire a generation of sporting talent’, First Minister John Swinney has said.

Ahead of Scotland taking on Haiti in Boston, the team’s first World Cup finals game since 1998, the First Minister has announced the creation of a World Cup Fund.

Designed in partnership with the Scottish Football Association (SFA), £500,000 of Scottish Government funding will be invested in the development of youth programmes for boys and girls.  

The First Minister has also announced £275,000 for charity Street Soccer Scotland to expand its free football and wellbeing sessions. The funding will help support volunteering and coaching opportunities for young people and fund housing assistance, mental health provision, food support and employability services for adults.

Ahead of joining Scotland fans at the FIFA Fan Festival in Boston ahead of the game, Mr Swinney said:

"As Scotland takes centre stage at the World Cup, I’ll be joining the Tartan Army to show Boston and the world, the whole of Scotland will be cheering the team on. The excitement around the World Cup demonstrates the strength of football – at home and in Boston, people are celebrating and showing off the very best of Scotland.

“This is a historic moment and our return to the World Cup is an opportunity to inspire a generation of sporting talent. To nurture this talent, I am announcing a £500,000 World Cup Fund to support young boys and girls follow their sporting dreams. I am also pleased to announce funding in support of the work delivered across the country by Street Soccer Scotland.

“These programmes, alongside our £20 million Summer of Sport celebrations, will help create more sporting opportunities for young people across Scotland.”

SFA Chief Executive, Ian Maxwell, said: “Scotland’s return to the World Cup stage has undoubtedly inspired the nation – from grassroots to the senior game and across society in general.

“We regularly reference the power of football to impact the game and the country and our hope is to use this summer as a springboard to progress in a number of areas.

“We welcome the Scottish Government’s investment, which will undoubtedly boost efforts to produce the next generation of internationals, who will hopefully pick up the baton and take us to more tournaments in the future.”

Street Soccer Scotland Chief Executive David Duke said:

"We welcome this support from the Scottish Government. The Street Soccer Network Programme was created on the principle that everyone, regardless of their circumstances, should have access to connection, opportunity and a sense of belonging, using the power of football. 

"This investment will enable us to continue that support and reach even more communities across Scotland.

"A significant focus of the network programme is on smaller towns and rural areas, where access to services can be limited and individuals often face additional barriers. This funding allows us to provide consistent, trusted support in places where it is needed most, ensuring that people are not left behind because of where they live."

Background

Information about the 2026 Summer of Sport is available on Sport Scotland’s website.

Street Soccer Scotland was founded in 2009 by David Duke MBE.

More than 25,000 people have participated in Street Soccer sessions. The charity currently operates in Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow, with plans to expand into Glasgow South, Renfrewshire, Argyll & Bute and Inverness.