MOSCOW, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Ninth Season of the Gazprom International Children's Social Programme, Football for Friendship, has finished. The key values of the programme are friendship, equality, fairness, health, peace, devotion, victory, traditions and honour. 12-14-year-old girls and boys from over 200 countries took part in this season's programme.

Over 200 countries took part in the Ninth Season of Football for Friendship

One of the distinctive features of this year's season was that the 2021 Football for Friendship eWorld Championship was played on the multi-user football simulator Football for Friendship World. The application was launched in December 2020 and is available free of charge in 27 languages on various platforms. The F4F eWorld Championship was contested by mixed international teams in accordance with the principles of Football for Friendship. Team Argali, represented by players from Aruba, Belize, Guatemala, Costa Rica and Mexico, were the winners of the final game of the championship.

In recognition of their work in the International Children's Press Centre, Young Journalists from Bangladesh, Bolivia, Hungary and the USA were named as "Best journalists". Coaches and Young Players from over 350 football academies and sports schools participated in the sports activities of the programme, but also in environmental and educational projects. The International Football for Friendship Award went to football academies in Afghanistan, India, Sri Lanka and Togo for their social projects.

In the course of the final events of the ninth season, participants achieved F4F's third GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title for the most users to visit a virtual stadium. The programme already holds two GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ titles.

Viktor Zubkov, Gazprom Chairman of the Board of Directors: "I am happy that Football for Friendship is gaining more and more friends and supporters around the world - not only amongst children but also their parents, football clubs and academies too. Gazprom carries out social initiatives in many areas, including sport. In my opinion, Football for Friendship is one of the most needed and important international social projects, especially today."

About Football for Friendship

The International Children's Social Project Football for Friendship has existed since 2013. It is organised by Gazprom. Over the previous nine seasons, more than 16,000 children and young people from 211 countries and regions have taken part in the programme. More than 6,000,000 people support the project.

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