Pedersen: I feel like I want to scream!

On the eve of the Women’s World Cup in 2023, Sofie Junge Pedersen led the biggest player-led climate action campaign in football history. Now, ahead of the men’s tournament, she is backing World Football Giving Day as part of an even bigger change.

The initiative is designed to encourage people to participate and donate on May 26 to raise money for non-profit organisations around the world hit by aid cuts. It is backed by Jurgen Klopp, Juan Mata, Dani Olmo, Vivianne Miedema and, of course, Pedersen.

"Football has a unique power to unify people," she tells Sky Sports. "It is the world's most popular sport so football has that power. But it also has a responsibility, with so many followers, to do something more to make the world a better place."

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The Denmark international is a doer who puts her money where her mouth is. A member of Common Goal, the initiative that sees football figures pledge one per cent of their salaries to charitable causes, she was always going to be at the forefront of this latest mission.

"Words can be a little bit empty," she explains. "It is easy to just say words, come up with messages that you want less poverty in the world, that you want every kid to have an education. But this can be something that you actually do to reach those goals.

"There is action behind this message. A lot of organisations need a little support. We should all help. This is also a way of saying that you are not alone. We are actually many. This is a way to see that rather than everyone feeling like they are fighting on their own."

Now 34, Pedersen has a long history of committing to good causes. She visited Zambia to witness the impact of her fundraising campaigns and has spent considerable time in Ghana. "In both countries, I have seen how much football means to people," she says.

"Life can be hard sometimes, so just to have a moment of joy and peace, that is really important. And football has so many things to give to a community. It makes people more healthy. They learn about teamwork. It is also a way for people to come together.

She explains: "The project in Ghana combined football with meetings around sexual and reproductive health and rights. Someone comes and talks to the girls. It is a way of making it a space where they can talk and learn about these important health matters."

Pedersen is doing her bit but given the vast sums involved in the world's game, the frustration is that football's full power is not being harnessed to bring about change. "Football should definitely do more. We do not have any excuses," she argues.

"We hear about the salaries in football and the huge transfer sums. Why should those sums just increase and increase? Why not spend part of that on helping grassroots organisations to grow, on climate action, on helping children and young people?"

There is pride at what she helped to instigate ahead of that World Cup in 2023, a group of players offsetting the environmental impact of their own travel. "It was better than nothing. It took some money and transferred it into investments in green technology."

The challenge, of course, is to stay optimistic, to retain this can-do attitude in a world where the direction of travel is not always so positive. "Of course, I follow the news. Sometimes I am sad about the developments in the world at the moment," she admits.

"For example, I am also hearing that the curve of CO2 emissions is still increasing, even if that curve is flattening a little bit. What I hear from the experts is that the green transition will definitely happen, but the issue with it is the time that this is taking.

"I am in doubt that we will get renewable energy in the future but people are suffering right now because climate change is already here. We are not helping those affected by droughts and floods, people losing the ability to cultivate land. People forget that."

At Juventus, Pedersen organised presentations to the entire squad outlining some of these issues and what they could do to help. She did much the same with her national team. "Whenever I have the opportunity, I try to tell people about this crisis," she says.

"But I am also aware that some people shut down if they see someone wagging their finger too much. Even though I feel like I want to scream and say this is not okay, I am trying to be pragmatic and figure out the best way to make people change a little bit."

World Football Giving Day is one such way.

Sofie Junge Pedersen will be doing her bit.

To take action, head to World Football Giving Day website (www.worldfootballgivingday.org) to donate to any of the 100+ non-profits registered or think of your own way to give back in your local community or globally.