AFC Dream Asia
Under the guidance of Chairperson HRH Prince Abdulaziz Bin Turki Al Faisal, the programmes will channel football infrastructure and funding directly into vulnerable communities. Two projects utilise the mandatory five percent (5%) social responsibility allocation from the AFC Champions League Elite™ and AFC Champions League Two™ prize funds earned by clubs in Japan and the United Arab Emirates, while the other two address urgent regional disaster recovery in Myanmar and the Northern Mariana Islands.
Leading the disaster recovery front is the Northern Mariana Islands Football Association’s "Rebuild, Better, Stronger" Programme. Scheduled for completion in February 2027, this comprehensive community recovery initiative will restore the Northern Mariana Islands Soccer Training Center, which sustained critical damage from the Category 5 Super Typhoon Sinlaku on April 14, 2026. The Foundation's funding will replace essential equipment, restore facilities with resilient infrastructure, and re-engage heavily impacted youth through safe football activities.
The BoT also approved another vital infrastructural initiative via the Myanmar Football Federation’s Mandalay Football Academy Recovery Programme. Launched as a direct response to the devastating earthquake that struck central Myanmar on March 28, 2025, which left the academy building structurally unsafe, this project is scheduled for completion in November 2027. The recovery initiative will rebuild a modern, resilient centre of excellence to safely house and train 140 football students aged 12–17, while fully restoring the talent pathway for local coaches, referees, and football clubs.
Further expanding the Foundation's reach into civic development, Kawasaki Frontale will utilise their mandatory five percent (5%) prize money allocation as runners-up of the AFC Champions League Elite 2024/25™ to launch the "Blue Dream" Programme. This 12-month initiative directly addresses the "play crisis" in Kawasaki City, where 90% of local parks ban ball games. The club's three-pillar strategy, spanning Safeguarding, Education, and Social Inclusion, features a food drive for 25,000 participants, the "Blue Santa" hospital initiative, therapy dogs for 2,000 children, inclusive football clinics for 150,000 people, and a Resilience Project teaching 500 children lessons from the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake.
In a similar commitment to community impact through club success, AFC Champions League Two 2024/25™ champions Sharjah Football Club will deploy their prize money to fund the "Football for Hope" Programme. To be delivered in partnership with The Big Heart Foundation from November 2026 to February 2027, the programme integrates 32 coach-led training sessions and educational workshops for 150 highly vulnerable children and young adults. First-team players will also provide direct mentorship, and the club will guarantee long-term stadium access and matchday experiences for the participants to ensure an enduring legacy.
In addition to the new approvals, the Board received comprehensive briefings on the AFC’s administrative matters, structural programme audits, and the performance metrics of both past and active social responsibility campaigns.
All decisions will need to be ratified by the AFC Executive Committee before taking effect.
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