“We have pioneered a sports category that combines the excitement of soccer with the social impact of activism.”

Imagine Playing Soccer for a Cause You Care About! That's the League.  

The Impact League, with its unique focus on social impact, requires each team to design a Purpose Project aligned with one of the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These Goals aim to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure global peace and prosperity by 2030.

This innovative league goes beyond the pitch. The Impact League is a powerful community of women united by their passion for the sport and their commitment to making a difference. 

Our vision, is to be the world's leading soccer league where advocacy meets sports. As a professionally run league, our mission is to create a unique experience - combining innovative play, empowering game days, and connecting you to a global activist network. 

“A meaningful play experience includes everyone, builds trusting connections, and reinforces the motivations for engaging in sports and activism. And when we add a purpose to play, we also learn about other people's dreams and hopes. We become part of something bigger than ourselves.”

— Majken Gilmartin, Co-founder

Our Play Method Emphasizes Friendships, Advocacy and Play

The play method’s four activities are:

  1. Choose purpose & play: All teams qualify to participate by picking a Global Goal. Playing for something bigger than yourselves inspires teams to do more and reach higher.

  2. Build trust & play off the field: Play also means spending time together outside the field. Players jointly set objectives, develop unique approaches to amplify the Global Goal, create uniforms and find innovative ways to engage their fans/crowd.

  3. Speak up & build community: All players are required to speak for the team’s Goal publicly, on social media and on game day. This builds confidence and the teams get a chance to learn from each other and support each other.

  4. Create safe & inclusive sports spaces: All players are part of creating a safe space to play. Creating a space that makes all players, staff and audience feel safe is key for every league season and is everyone’s responsibility.

Our play method and point system has created long-lasting impact and encourages the joy of being part of a team and, together, bringing change to the community.

Each team is scored in four distinct categories: Impact, Play Spirit, Football and Crowd. More details here.

The Global Goals, the Climate Agreement from Paris, and the ESG or CSRD system

The biggest to-do lists and world guidelines are all here to guide us in taking collective steps, collaborating, exploring, creating, and implementing.

When we work with our teams and sponsors, we look for ways to inspire and support each other's goals for a greener, safer, and more just world.

We are Award-Winning in Forecasting Sports Trends for Women

2023 Majken Gilmartin is listed as number 11 out of 30 game changers who push the boundaries in sports. Listed by ISPO (World’s largest sports fair) 

2021 Power, Together Award. GGWCUP awarded by Reykjavik Global Forum and WPL (Women Political Leaders)

2019 The Global Goals Award. GGWCUP awarded by the Danish government 

2019 Czech Republic SDG Award. GGWCUP awarded by Association of Social Responsibility and Ministry of Foreign Affairs

2016 IOC Trophy for Women and Sport for Europe. Majken Gilmartin awarded by the Olympic committee

2011 Inclusion Award. EIR Soccer awarded by Red Cross and Roskilde Music Festival 

2004 Best Grass Root Event. EIR Soccer’s Sensational Football Tournament awarded by UEFA

Our Sports Programs Are Making a Difference in the World

Hosted 25 Global Goals World Cup tournaments

7,200 network players reached over 1.8 million people face to face

Active in 17 countries through events & leagues

261 League players across 22 teams

Certified 115 Coaches

1,067 grade 11 students engaged through school league

  • 70 % indicate that it is very likely that they will continue playing football.

  • 73 % indicate that it was very likely they will continue playing football with the same team.

  • Seven months later 94 % are playing football with the same team.

The Impact League Builds on a Long History of Sports and Global Activism Coming Together

The EIR history showcases the power of sports and activism to create positive change in the world:

2023

  • Raising funds to establish GG Impact League in the U.S.

  • First GGWCUP Palestine hosted by Human Supporters Association and Rise For Good

  • First GGWCUP Colombia hosted by Impact Hub in Medellin.

  • Launched second League season in Jordan in the spring with 85 players.

2022

2021/22

  • EIR is receiving DKK 1.5 million for the project Football League Jordan 2022–2023. The project will take place in Jordan. Press Release.

  • Launched the second Eir Coach Program. A grant from Denmark's Novo Nordisk Foundation and support from HIKMA Jordan enabled us to launch the 1-year program in Jordan. 344 women applied to join the program, 102 were selected and graduated November 26 2022. Local implementor was Rise for Good. Read the summary report.

  • First GGWCUP Jordan hosted by Rise for Good

  • First GGWCUP Saudi Arabia hosted by Sports for All Federation.

2021

  • Power, Together! Award given by Reykjavik Global Forum and WPL. “Reykjavík Global Forum – Women Leaders 2021 recognizes the importance of a global sports organisation launched in Denmark with the ‘Power, Together Award’.” Press release.

  • GGWCUP Iceland Finals hosted by Reykjavík Global Forum - Women Leaders 2021 and Young Professional Women in Iceland (UAK).

  • Sports for All Federation announced the first ever Global Goals World Cup Saudi Arabia. Sports for All Federation supported Team Greens playing in Copenhagen in 2019 and in NYC the same year.

2020

  • GGWCUP East Africa hosted by former GGWCUP player and author Mariam Mpaata: “We strongly believe that as women we have power to create change. Because we are influencing both our sisters, our husbands and our children everyday. Football has became a useful tool that gives us courage to amplify our voices.”

2019

  • Second GGWCUP Bangkok hosted by NIST, Chelsea Foundation and UNDP.

  • First GGWCUP Mumbai, India. Hosted by Sustainable Mindz.

  • Second GGWCUP Denmark. Thirty teams from across Europe united in Copenhagen for the world.

  • Verdensmålsprisen (The Global Goals Award), an honorary award given by The Danish Government.

  • First GGWCUP Prague hosted by the Association of Social Responsibility.

  • Czech Republic SDG Award Given by Association of Social Responsibility.

  • Fourth GGWCUP NYC Finals during the during the UN General Assembly Week. We presented a legendary lineup of artists, royals, disruptors, change makers and innovators. And proud to partner with SAP Next-Gen who mobilize citizens and foster purpose-led engagement to enable the world to meet its 2030 targets.

2018/19

  • First Global Goals World Cup in the MENA region: GGWCUP UAE hosted by Sustainable Mindz.

  • Third GGWCUP NYC Finals during the UN General Assembly Week.

  • First Caribbean event GGWCUP Dominica

  • First GGWCUP Johannesburg

  • Launched the first EIR Coach Program in Europe. 13 coaches from 12 different European countries graduated. The program is a 1-year program and offer a new purpose driven coach and player culture for women. Supported by Erasmus+. 

2017

  • First GGWCUP on the African continent: GGWCUP Nairobi hosted in partnership with Save the Children and the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

  • First GGWCUP Bangkok hosted by NIST, Chelsea Foundation and UNDP.

2016

  • Majken Gilmartin is awarded the IOC Trophy for Women and Sport, Europe. Given by the Olympic committee. 

  • First Global Goals World Cup in Copenhagen.

  • The Global launch of GGWCUP was held in New York City on September 19th alongside the Social Good Summit @92Y with support from the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, UNDP and Goodwings. We got our first ambassadors: Lene Nystrøm (Aqua), Birgitte Hjort-Sørensen (Borgen), Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Victor Ochen.

2015

  • Global Partnership with UNDP.

  • World leaders agreed to 17 Global Goals to overcome the World's Challenges. They are also known as the world’s biggest to-do list and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

2011

  • Awarded by Red Cross for creating Asylum United. Asylum United uses football to create community and network for women in asylum centers in Denmark.

2004 - 2015

  • Sensational Street Football Tournaments in the city of Copenhagen and at Roskilde Music Festival, Denmark. Annually 120 teams participating.

2008

  • Released the first football designed to fit the physicality of female players, reducing injuries and maximizing the game experience.

2004

  • Organized the first Sensational Football Tournament for 120 teams. The tournament concept became an annual street event in Copenhagen and during the warm-up days at Roskilde Music Festival. 

  • The Sensational Football event was awarded by UEFA for building best grass root event.