The Spanish Refugee National Football Team plays for integration in Bilbao

As part of the activities surrounding the UEFA Europa League Final, taking place this evening in Bilbao, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, held a football match that highlighted the power of football as a tool for the inclusion and well-being of refugees.

The match brought together ten local volunteers and fourteen members of the Spanish Refugee National Football Team—a squad promoted by the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) in collaboration with UNHCR. The team is made up of young refugees and asylum-seekers from Afghanistan, Mali, Ukraine, Gambia, Morocco, Senegal, Guinea Conakry, Peru, and Nigeria.

This initiative was born from the partnership between UNHCR and UEFA, established in 2021 to promote the inclusion of refugees through sport. The event was supported by the ambassador of the UEFA Europa League Final, former Athletic Club and Spanish national team player, Aritz Aduriz, who emphasized the role of football in helping refugees integrate and rebuild their lives.

In the same spirit, the team’s captain, Afghan refugee Ebrahim Pishtaz, shared how meaningful this experience is for him in Spain: “I don’t have anyone here, and now this team is my family.” His teammates echoed this sentiment, including goalkeeper Standly Idowu, who added that football boosts their sense of belonging and self-esteem: “Everyone loves football. When you’re on the pitch and people cheer for you, it makes you feel really good,” said the 20-year-old Nigerian.

The Spanish Refugee National Football Team was created in 2023 by the RFEF to participate in the Unity Euro Cup—a tournament organized by UNHCR and UEFA that brings together teams of refugees and locals from across Europe to promote visibility and inclusion for those forced to flee. The team currently has around twenty members who train every Sunday at a sports facility in the Carabanchel neighborhood of Madrid, under the guidance of coaches Jesús and Rodrigo Paredes. The initiative is supported by RFEF President, Rafael Louzán, who also attended the match in Bilbao.

“After two years, this project proves the power of sport to foster integration, build team spirit among people from diverse backgrounds, create community, and inspire motivation and resilience in those who have often experienced trauma from conflict, violence, and forced displacement,” said UNHCR spokesperson Lurdes Calvo.

The continuity of the team beyond the Unity Euro Cup tournaments ensures that football is not just an exceptional experience, but an essential part of their daily lives—motivating them and offering a vital outlet from everyday challenges. 

Following the match in Bilbao, the Spanish Refugee National Team will continue preparing for the 2025 Unity Euro Cup, to be held in the Netherlands this October.