The international football governing body, FIFA, has signed the dotted lines with the software company, Calm.
In this association, the company from California has been named the official mindfulness and meditation product of the upcoming FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, which is starting on Sunday, November 20. Following this deal, every player, staff member and volunteer will receive a free subscription to the personal health application.
This lucrative agreement also covers the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand along with the 2023 FIFAe Nations Cup esports tournament. The fans will also receive a 50% off subscription leading up to the forthcoming highly anticipated multi-team football event and other FIFA events.
Speaking on mental and physical health along with the collaboration, Andrew Massey, FIFA’s Director of Medical, said, “Mental and physical health are equal partners in the combined wellbeing of a person, and care for both must be seen as integral in caring for the footballing family.
“As a sporting community, we need to create an environment that better supports mental well-being and mental health. The wellbeing of footballers at all levels of the game has always been and will always be the top priority of Fifa, as can be seen with this collaboration.”
Fergal Walker, Calm’s Vice President of Partnerships, said, “We’re proud to team up with Fifa, bringing mental wellness tools to the global football community. This is just the beginning of our work together, and we’re excited for what’s to come as we integrate mental health into football, for players, for staff and of course for the fans.”
FIFA states that through this partnership it aims to increase awareness of mental health conditions at major international soccer tournaments.
In addition, the two parties involved will collaborate to curate content, which will include webinars and online sessions. Players who struggled with mental issues in the past are also allowed to contribute.