Manuela Acosta, a Colombian professional footballer with a master’s degree is dedicated to changing lives on and off the pitch.
She played a pivotal role in inspiring SOMOS Equidad – the Latin American chapter of the Global Goal 5 Accelerator and pledges her 1% to the collective project driving gender equality.
Carlos joined Common Goal during his first season playing in the MLS with the San José Earthquakes.
With his 1% pledge, he is supporting the Anti-racist project, aiming to prevent others from experiencing the hardships he has endured. His goal is to create a lasting impact on racial justice and encourage social change.
"I know what they go through and I know what they suffer, so my initiative is to fight against racism, to fight against all those people who don't want to make this life a little more pleasant, peaceful, and happy."
Magnus Andersen is a Danish U-21 international who joined Common Goal through FC Nordsjaelland. He officially joined Common Goal in April 2019.
Miguel Antuña joined Common Goal at the age of 15 – putting him among the very youngest footballers to ever make the 1% pledge.
The central defender highlighted the importance of progressing on and off the field. He attributes is commitment to giving back as the key factor in his decision to join Common Goal.
"A football career is very beautiful, but at the same time very complicated. The most important thing is to work every day and enjoy it. Off the field I would like to continue studying and be able to make others happy."
This crafty English striker decided to take the 1% pledge and join the Common Goal movement while playing for Charlton Athletic Women's FC in 2022.
It is apparent through her many trickshots and skill challenges on Instagram that she can inspire the next generation.
Leon Balogun, has been interested in the Common Goal movement since Juan Mata became the first player to take the pledge in 2017.
However, it was his Super Eagles teammate and fellow Common Goal member William Troost-Ekong that put Leon in touch with Common Goal.
Leon proudly supports Youth Empowerment and Development Initiative (YEDI) in Nigeria and aims to help to improve the level of education in countries like Nigeria through football.
"Joining Common Goal gives me the opportunity to actively help and support people in their communities and open up doors to a better life," said Leon.
After talking to other players who have taken the 1% pledge, Tudor Baluta joined the Common Goal movement with his fellow international teammate Ianis Hagi in 2021, making them the first Romanians to do so.
Baluta, who plays his club football at Brighton & Hove Albion credits Hagi’s father, football legend Gheorgh Hagi, for inspiring him to help others.
“We all need that extra support in life. For example, I met his (Hagi's) father and he changed my career, my life. I think I can maybe be that person for someone, to help them get an education, achieve their goals, and live the life they want to live.”
“Common Goal is a really nice way to bring football, the thing I love the most, and helping people, something I have always wanted to do, together.”
Diego Bardanca truly believes in the uniting power of football and cited this as his main reason for getting involved in the Common Goal movement back in July 2019.
“Football is the pretext, and Common Goal is the medium to a better world,” he said, after reaching out to us through the Common Goal website.
Lauren Barnes joined Common Goal in 2022 while playing for OL Reign. She has celebrated multiple successes in her playing career - winning the NWSL and being the first player in NWSL history to play 150 regular season games for one team.
But her ambition off the pitch is just as impressive. Lauren is pledging 1% to Football for Her and is helping put together a team of players and coaches to follow suit. Together they want to help create sustainable support for girls and nonbinary young people to play and thrive.
Molly Bartrip first connected with Common Goal for the launch of Create the Space UK - Common Goal's mental heath initiative. Molly has long been an advocate for mental health in football and society and has consistently communicated her own mental health journey to serve as inspiration for others to feel comfortable to talk.
On the pitch the defender started her footballing journey with Tottenham as a youngster before spending time with Charlton Athletic and Arsenal. Her senior career started in 2014 with Reading before she made the move to Spurs in 2021.
Angela Beard joined Common Goal while playing for Fortuna Hjørring.
Through her 1% pledge to Play Proud, she aims to help drive LGBTQ+ inclusion on and off the pitch.
Janine Beckie is a Canadian international striker who joined while playing for Manchester City in the FAWSL.
The former Houston Dash and Sky Blue FC sharpshooter joined Common Goal in April 2019 along with all of her fellow Canadian teammates.
Vero Boquete is a firm believer in the power of football to carry messages of social change and, as such, pledged her 1% to Common Goal back in October 2017.
Vero is Spain’s all-time leading goalscorer, has claimed a Champions League title, won domestic titles in multiple countries, and captained her team at the World Cup in 2015.
At the end of 2018 her accomplishments were recognized by her home city of Santiago de Compostela with the city’s main stadium being renamed the Estadio Vero Boquete de San Lázaro.
Pauline Bremer attributes the success of her career to values like team play and believes that Common Goal shares a lot of the same values.
The German attacker says she feels a duty as a footballer to use the sport as a tool for societal change.
Since joining Common Goal in October 2017, Pauline has been an active team member, using her platform to support a variety of activities, including football-based projects that support gender equality.
Chasing a career in football can mean moving clubs, cities, and countries regularly. For some players, the frequency of movement means they don't develop a strong bond with their community. For Sergi Canós, that couldn't be further from the truth.
Sergi joined Common Goal while playing at Brentford to help strengthen the communities that have helped him become the player he is.
His 1% supports Asociacion Alacran 1997 in his home country Spain, Football Beyond Borders in London, and Fundacion Colombianitos, an organisation based in Colombia where his girlfriend, actress and singer Valeria Emiliani, is from.
"By the time I leave football, I would like to have done something for the community and to make the world a bit better," said Sergi.
"I think it is a big thing that we all, as footballers are united and we do things to help our communities.”
Edgar Caparrós became the 14th male Spanish footballer to join Common Goal - arriving shortly after he made the move to Ukrainian Premier Division side FK Minaj.
Edgar arrived at age 23 an already well-travelled young man, having spent time in Spain, Slovakia, Georgia, Ukraine and Italy throughout his youth career and beyond.
The Spanish central-midfielder – who can also operate wide on the right – was the first person who played their football in Ukraine to make the 1% pledge towards the football for good movement.
Danielle Carter joined Common Goal in 2021 with the belief that, through collective action, real change can be accomplished.
Carter enjoyed an illustrious decade with Arsenal – netting 60 goals and winning 12 trophies – before making the switch to Reading in 2020.
She is directing her 1% to the Menstrual Hygiene Management collective project, which uses football as a tool to create a learning environment and support system, where young women and girls can learn how to manage their period safely and with confidence.
“I think this [collective action] is the way forward
“If you are in two minds, I'll say just go for it because just the thought of helping people and a cause that's close to your heart, it's just a no brainer to me.”
Niamh joined Common Goal after appearing in her first major tournament with England, finishing runners-up to Spain at the 2023 Women's World Cup.
Chelsea's full-back is keen to use her platform to support Create the Space, a programme designed to tackle mental health issues in football and society.
Alex Chidiac was the 100th member to join the Common Goal movement when she signed up in May 2019 alongside Australia teammate Aiva Luik.
She recruited Luik by chance over a cup of coffee and the pair haven't looked back since. Alex feels responsibile to give back to football, especially in her home country of Australia.
"I feel so privileged in finding my passion early in life. This was possible because of the love, belief and support that I received from my family and my football community back home in Australia.”
Izzy Christiansen is an English international who joined Common Goal to be a part of a team that is trying to change the world through football.
She has played at the highest level, winning more than 30 caps for her country as well as a treble wit Lyon before she joined Everton in the WSL.
Izzy wants to help inspire others in the footballing world to get involved in the driving social change and is also passionate about helping with access to better sanitation products for women and girls.
“As a footballer I am used to working in a team and that’s one of the big appeals of Common Goal - the sense of unity with like-minded people who are all really passionate about making change, and that's something which I wanted to be part of.”
Isaac Christie-Davies, joined Common Goal in June 2018 and supports youth education initiatives in Africa.
On the day that he made his senior debut for Liverpool he received a letter from the field from a child in Zimbabwe.
“As footballers you have a big responsibility because you are in a very privileged position. You can use this position to make a positive change by helping others who are less fortunate than us.”
Dominika Čonč is interested in pushing for equality through football and has expressed her desire to to fight the preconceptions around women’s football in the Balkan region.
“People in the Balkans still think that football is not for women, and until that changes it's going to be difficult to achieve something bigger.”
The Slovenian midfielder joined the Common Goal team in November 2018.
Alana Cook joined Common Goal in 2023 while playing for Ol Reign. Alongside being an anchor in defence, she is also dedicated to social change. She is part of the starting XI that allocates 1% to Football For Her.
Libby Copus-Brown is an Australian footballer who has kitted out for teams such as the Newcastle Jets and the Western Sydney Wanderers in her home country.
"I joined Common Goal because I believe that football is more than just a game, it has the ability to bring people all around the world together,” she said.
“There are many social inequalities that stem beyond us that we don't necessarily see every day. As a footballer I am proud to be able to use the game as a tool to fight for change and do my part to make a positive impact to people who need it most.”
Daphné Corboz reached out to Common Goal following her brother Maël's decision to make the 1% pledge – making the duo the first brother-sister pairing to join the movement.
A dynamic midfielder by trade – Corboz has played for teams such as Manchester City, Sky Blue FC and FC Fleury 91 before joining Paris FC in the summer of 2020.
Daphné decided her maiden pledge would go towards the Common Goal COVID-19 Response fund to help our football based community organisations combat the multifaceted effects of the Coronavirus in their communities.
Maël Corboz arrived at Common Goal on the same day it was announced he would be signing for German 3. Liga side SC Verl from Go Ahead Eagles in the Netherlands
The United States born midfielder decided his 1% pledge would go towards the Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) project - which seeks to equip girls with the knowledge of what menstruation entails and how to independently and hygienically manage it in countries where taboo and stigma prevents them from doing so.
"I've always been interested in getting involved or giving back to the community and this is a good start to doing that. I hope to contribute increasingly in the future and Common Goal provides a great and simple way to give back."
Vanessa Córdoba, former Colombia national team keeper and daughter of Colombian legend Oscar Córdoba and, joined Common Goal in 2020 to continue her fight for gender equality on and off the pitch.
Along with four other Colombian footballers and Common Goal members, she a pivotal role in launching SOMOS Equidad – the Global Goal 5 Accelerator’s Latin American chapter.
Córdoba puts her 1% towards the collective project and strives to create equal access to opportunities for girls in her home country and around the world.
Robbie Crawford is a Scottish midfielder who reached out to Common Goal through our website and officially joined the movement in July 2019.
He believes he is privileged to do what he does for a living and, as he has matured as a footballer, he has become more aware of the social impact he can provide to the world around him.
"I have been looking for different ways to give back and, after speaking to the team and seeing what other players had to say, it made my decision to pledge really easy."