It was an impressive assembly for the Global Goals World Cup, which played out high above Manhattan last week. Amid the grey clouds that shrouded the skyline on the day, a vibrant chorus of activists, athletes, CEOs, and policymakers convened around the pitch that was installed on the 48th floor of the SAP building. The event was actually a culmination for the sixteen teams involved, each of which had pledged to play and advocate for one the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals. The pledges are not just a statement of intent either. The tournament awards four points in each match: one for most goals scored, one for best engagement with the crowd, one for creativity and style, and one for action off the field that moves progress towards the SDGs. It made for a truly celebratory atmosphere, and ensured that no team’s path to the final was straightforward.

As the tournament rattled on, an equally compelling rotation of panelists kept the space adjacent to the pitch alive with urgent conversation. Topics of discussion ranged from the activism around the world by women working to bring gender equality and justice to sports to the qualities that men and women can nurture to develop into better leaders for everyone to the importance of self-care in maintaining a work-life balance for women leaders. Listening to those amazing women in the broader context of US culture and politics that week, it was hard not to feel like it was indeed the best of times and worst of times.

The final pitched Goleadoras from Queens, playing for Global Goal 5: Gender Equality, against San Diego Soccer Women, playing for Global Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities. After the trophy had gone to the local side, GGWCup co-founder Rykke Rønholt remarked, it felt “appropriate that the final was played between the tournament’s youngest side [Goleadoras] and the most mature team…Because, that’s what it’s all about—people from opposite ends meeting in the middle, on the pitch.”

Words by Joshua Guerra

Images by Joshua Guerra and Giancarlo Bruno for The Five United