HOBE SOUND SOCCER REPRESENTS THE U.S. AT THE 2025 GLOBAL PEACE GAMES IN BELGIUM
Mesen, Belgium — September 21, 2025 — Young athletes from around the world came together this past month to celebrate peace, unity, and the power of play at the 2025 Global Peace Games (GPGs) in Mesen, Belgium — the historic site of the 1914 Christmas Truces.
Hosted at the Peace Village, the week-long event (September 15–21, 2025) brought together children from the United States and Belgium to honor the United Nations International Day of Peace through soccer, education, and cultural exchange. Representing the U.S. was Hobe Sound Soccer Club, who joined international peers in games and workshops designed to promote understanding and community through sport.
The Global Peace Games, organized and funded by the Children’s Football Alliance (CFA) through its Peace Field Project, offered participants more than just competition. Players visited First World War memorials, reflected on the Christmas Truces of 1914, and played matches on the Flanders Peace Field — a ground symbolizing reconciliation where Allied and German soldiers once set aside conflict to share a moment of peace and soccer.
This year’s Global Peace Games featured a mix of international friendlies, peace forums, and cultural activities focused on how sport can build bridges in divided communities. The event continues to expand the reach of the Peace Field Project, which now includes more than 80 Peace Pitches across six continents, each twinned with the Flanders Peace Field as a commitment to peace education through play.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for many young peacemakers of the future. Playing games on the world’s most poignant field inspires many participants to pledge to promote peace in their communities, ” says Ernie Brennan, CEO of the CFA.
Since its founding in 2008, the Children’s Football Alliance has worked to protect childhood through play, promoting the role of soccer as a tool for education, inclusion, and peacebuilding. The Global Peace Games remain one of the organization’s cornerstone initiatives, blending history, culture, and sport to remind the world of soccer’s unifying spirit.
For more information on how to twin your school or club’s field with the Flanders Peace Field, visit childrensfootballalliance.com/football-and-peace/peace-field-project.