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Journey to the Cup—Inclusion On and Off the Field

Every team at the 2026 Unified Football World Cup has a story to tell. In this series, meet the athletes, Unified partners, coaches, and officials whose journeys to Paris are filled with determination, friendship, and inclusion. These stories celebrate the power of football to bring people together, on and off the field.

Pradeep Bisht - Coach - Special Olympics Bharat (SOAP) - Men’s Team

Pradeep Bisht - Coach - Special Olympics Bharat (India) (Asia Pacific) Men’s Team

For Coach Pradeep Bisht, a promising football career was abruptly ended by injury. Instead of walking away from the sport, Pradeep found a new purpose: coaching with Special Olympics. He built an extensive coaching background through multiple certifications and football development programs. Coaching in Unified Sports challenged him to rethink communication, patience, and leadership. Rather than relying only on instruction, he learned the importance of demonstration, repetition, and adapting to how each athlete learns best. Recognizing that Unified partners sometimes unintentionally dominated play, Pradeep redesigned training sessions to encourage shared responsibility, teamwork, and equal participation on the field. Beyond tactics and results, he focuses on helping athletes build confidence, learn from setbacks, and respect both teammates and opponents.

Sanou Djeneba - Athlete, Team Co-Captain - Special Olympics Côte d’Ivoire (SOA) - Women’s Team

Sanou Djeneba - Athlete, Team Co-Captain - Special Olympics Côte d’Ivoire (Africa) Women’s Team

Sanou Djeneba, captain of the women’s Unified football team for Special Olympics Côte d’Ivoire, grew up in a family of 19. She joined Special Olympics at the age of 12—and quickly discovered sport as a place where she could build confidence, leadership, and friendships. An accomplished all-around athlete, she proudly represented Côte d’Ivoire at the 2023 Special Olympics World Games in Berlin, winning a gold medal in women’s handball. Sanou is ready to lead her team at the 2026 Special Olympics Unified Cup in Paris as a captain, hoping to inspire her teammates while pursuing another gold medal for Côte d’Ivoire. Sanou has also put forth the same determination in her studies, earning a higher technical diploma in civil engineering.

Huang “Xiao Liang” Haoliang and Xin Jian - Unified Teammates - Special Olympics China (SOEA) - Men's Team

Huang “Xiao Liang” Haoliang and Xin Jian - Unified Teammates - Special Olympics China (East Asia) Men's Team

As “Xiao Liang” and Xin Jian prepare to compete at the Unified Cup, they find strength in their history of supporting each other as teammates and cheering each other on in life. Xiao put in the hours staying late after many practices repeating drills, studying his teammates’ movements and skills closely, and approaching every training session with focus and excitement. Xin Jian, a Unified partner and sophomore at the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, has seen his effectiveness as a player develop through balancing patience, communication, and encouragement. Their partnership became solidified after one of their first practices together, when Xiao gave Xin a signed card from Italian football legend Ambrosini, knowing he was his favorite player.

Molly Underly - Head Coach - Special Olympics Michigan - USA (SONA) - Women’s Team

Molly Underly - Head Coach - Special Olympics Michigan - USA (North America) Women’s Team

After coaching the USA women’s team to a silver medal at the 2022 Unified Cup in Detroit, Molly Underly returns to lead the team competing in Paris with a focus on resilience, teamwork, and inclusion. Her nearly two decades of experience with Unified Sports began after responding to a small newspaper advertisement looking for volunteers in Colorado. Since then, she has served as a volunteer, Unified partner, coach, and now staff member with Special Olympics Colorado. She believes the strongest teams are built not only on talent, but on trust, communication, and shared purpose. For Molly, Unified Sports is about creating environments where every athlete and partner feels valued, supported, and empowered to grow both on and off the field.

Jules Sorbier - Athlete, Team Co-Captain - Special Olympics France (SOEE) - Men’s Team

Jules Sorbier - Athlete, Team Co-Captain - Special Olympics France (Europe Eurasia) Men’s Team

Jules Sorbier proudly leads the French team as captain, a role he describes as both an honor and a responsibility. For Jules, leadership means supporting teammates during difficult moments, something he knows a lot about. The captain of the French men’s team started playing football at age 12 but soon stopped after being bullied for having a disability. Through Special Olympics Unified Sports, he rebuilt his confidence, found meaningful friendships and reconnected with his love of the game. The 2026 Special Olympics Unified Cup in Paris is his first international competition. One of Jules’ proudest moments so far was appearing on the Sport en France television program “À vos Marques,” where he shared his journey.

Musab Al-Hass - Athlete - Special Olympics Libya (SOMENA) - Men’s Team

Musab Al-Hass - Athlete - Special Olympics Libya (Middle East / North Africa) Men’s Team

Musab Al-Hass has loved football since he was a child growing up in Libya. He first played with friends in the streets and at school before joining his school’s football team. Encouraged by his father, Musab continued developing his skills and later began competing in local football tournaments held during the holy month of Ramadan, when he and his teammates won several competitions together. Football has remained an important part of Musab’s life and eventually led him to Special Olympics Libya, where he was invited by his coach to represent his country for the first time at the 2026 Special Olympics Unified Cup in Paris.

Pedro Henrique dos Santos Pascoal - Athlete - Special Olympics Brazil (SOLA) - Men’s Team

Pedro Henrique dos Santos Pascoal – Athlete - Special Olympics Brazil (Latin America) Men’s Team

Pedro Henrique dos Santos Pascoal, athlete from Special Olympics Brazil, has a passion for football that is based on inclusion. Growing up, he experienced bullying that left him feeling isolated and unsupported. He noticed students involved in sports were treated differently, respected by classmates, and more easily accepted within the school community. Wanting to change his own experience, he turned to sport as a path forward. He is part of the Special Olympics Brazil program that boasts partnerships with the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF), SAF clubs (clubs that are part of Brazil´s Football Anonymous Society), and CONMEBOL. Together, these have strengthened the technical level and visibility of Unified Football, creating new opportunities for coach certification, athlete development, and competitive growth across Latin America.

Álvaro Brocher - Match Commissioner with ID - Special Olympics Venezuela (Latin America) - Men’s Team

Álvaro Brochero - Match Commissioner with ID - Special Olympics Venezuela (Latin America) Men’s Team

“One of the things that makes me happiest is that I am not treated like a person with an intellectual disability. I’m treated like everyone else.” Álvaro Brochero began his journey with Special Olympics Venezuela in 2010 as a football player who represented his country in two Copa América tournaments as team captain. He became President of the Special Olympics Latin America Regional Athlete Leadership Council and earned a certification as a football coach through CONMEBOL. In 2022, he served as Match Commissioner for the Special Olympics Unified Cup in Detroit, becoming one of the highest-ranking officials in the tournament’s competition structure. Now, he will return as Match Commissioner for the 2026 Special Olympics Unified Cup in Paris.

Three footballers from opposing teams, two in a red jersey and one in a yellow jersey, on the pitch going after the ball.

Unified Football World Cup Paris 2026

In 2026, for the first time, France will host the Special Olympics Unified Football World Cup in Paris. This, the third edition of the Cup, will take place 5 – 11 July across venues in the heart of Paris. There will be 24 teams, 12 men's and 12 women's teams, consisting of athletes with intellectual disabilities and Unified partners (athletes without intellectual disabilities), competing for the Unified Football World Cup title.

Learn more about Paris 2026