26 November 2025
Schools’ Football Week 2026 – Get Ready to Celebrate the Power of Schools’ Football!
The English Schools’ Football Association is excited to confirm that Schools’ Football Week will return in 2026!
Mark your calendars and join us as we continue to celebrate the positive impact of schools’ football across England.
🗓️ Schools’ Football Week 2026, in partnership with Pokémon will take place:
Monday 23rd – Sunday 29th March 2026
SFW has grown into the ESFA’s biggest national participation campaign; engaging schools, teachers and pupils in fun, inclusive and confidence-building football activity.
Reflecting on the success of 2025
Last year’s campaign saw:
- 200,000 pupils taking part
- 85,000 girls benefitting from football activity
- 1,000+ schools registering across England
In partnership with Pokémon, SFW 2025 created unforgettable moments both on and off the pitch. The ESFA selected 250 schools to be “Trailblazers”, at the forefront of the campaign. In total schools that took part received:
- 750 Pokemon themed footballs
- 3000 SFW themed t shirts
- Over 130,000 Pokemon card fun packs
As we look ahead to SFW 2026, we’re committed to building on this momentum and welcoming even more pupils into the game.
Save the date – and get ready!
The official SFW 2026 registration launch will open on Wednesday 14th January. Schools, Associations and teams will be invited via email to register their activities and help put schools’ football on the map once again as part of the ESFA’s flagship campaign.
This is your chance to shine a light on your pupils, your school community and the importance of fun, friendship and physical activity through football.
Let’s make SFW 2026 the biggest and most inclusive celebration yet!
