Bill Gates Highlights Grassroot Soccer as One of “Heroes in the Field”
July 19, 2026
In the lead-up to the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup Final, Bill Gates highlighted Grassroot Soccer’s Kunda Mwitwa as one of his “Heroes in the Field.”
“Soccer is sometimes called ‘The Beautiful Game,’” says Gates in the video. “What makes soccer even more beautiful is how Kunda Mwitwa uses it to improve the lives of young people around the world.”
Gates previously featured Grassroot Soccer as a “Game Changer” on his Gates Notes blog ahead of the 2022 Men’s World Cup, including a video featuring Kunda’s work as a SKILLZ Coach in Lusaka, Zambia. Kunda also joined a Gates Foundation health innovation event in Qatar at the 2022 World Cup, where she was interviewed on stage by soccer legend Sir David Beckham.
“What keeps me motivated to do the work that I do at Grassroot Soccer is my own firsthand experience,” Kunda says. “I started out as a program beneficiary, and I want the next young person to have access to the same opportunities I had.”