At Xbox, our mission is to bring the joy and community of gaming to everyone on the planet. Billions of people around the world connect with each other through video games, just as they do through football. This partnership will bring to life our core message – Power Your Dreams – which not only celebrate the values of diversity and inclusion shared by Xbox and the FFF, but spurs the imagination when two world-class teams come together, empowering football fans, associations, amateur clubs, women’s football, and those who love gaming, alike.
For more than a century, the French Football Federation has supervised and developed the amateur and high-level practice of the most popular French sport. Home to the reigning Men’s World Cup Champions and the #4 ranked Women’s Team, the French Football Federation is a remarkable organization, one which has shown the same will and ambition as Xbox has had, bringing together fans and players around a common passion, while respecting their differences.
François Vasseur, marketing and economic development director for the FFF stated, “We are delighted to partner with Xbox. Xbox is a world-renowned and innovative brand that shares fundamental values with the FFF, such as diversity and inclusion, as well as gaming and its accessibility to all. The brand’s commitment to amateur football in particular and to the French national teams promises great stories together.”
It’s an incredibly proud moment for everyone at Xbox, standing alongside the millions of fans of the French team, especially with massive global tournaments taking place this year. We are ready to bring all our collective creativity together.
XBOX FC: A BOOST FOR AMATEUR FOOTBALL
As part of this partnership between Xbox and the FFF, we are introducing the Xbox FC initiative, a program which aims to strengthen the FFF’s support for amateur football. The program aims to make the dreams of young amateur footballers come true by providing them with brand new training facilities and equipment. The selected clubs will benefit from renovated locker rooms, a dedicated gaming area and new Xbox and FFF branded equipment. Xbox and the FFF are committed to ensuring that these new facilities are maintained and that these clubs benefit from additional initiatives over time.
To drive this program, we are partnering with Sakina Karchaoui, member of the French Women’s National Team. Originally from Miramas, near Marseille, she took her first steps in football with local club Montpellier HSC before going on to play for Olympique Lyonnais. Sakina now plays left-back for powerhouse club Paris Saint-Germain. She is committed to providing more resources and better conditions for amateur football.
To celebrate the twin passions of football and video games, Xbox is joining with the FFF, Kadidiatou Diani and Domingo, at Clairefontaine on May 21, for Xbox Day.
As a member of the French Women’s National Team, Kadidiatou discovered football at an early age at ES Vitry. Later, she joined the Juvisy club and the French Women’s Football Pole. Today she plays as a striker for Paris Saint-Germain. Committed to the community, in 2020 she joined the Plan International France NGO as a new ambassador to defend sport as a lever for education and emancipation for girls. Kadidiatou Diani will be the ambassador of Xbox Day.
A well-known person in the French video game industry, Pierre-Alexis Bizot, better known as Domingo, is a French host and streamer. Since 2019, he has hosted his own talk show on Twitch called “Popcorn”. Passionate about sports both behind the screen and in life, he has organized sporting events such as The Escape, a virtual bike race, and participated in the Paris 2021 marathon.
During Xbox Day, activities will include:
- An exclusive tour of Clairefontaine, the home of French football
- A unisex football tournament
- The final of the eCup FFF
- Learning about Cécifoot (A football game designed for people who are visually impaired)
- Inclusive workshops led by experts who will teach participants how to play with good gaming habits.
