WILLEMSTAD – A youth football initiative in Curaçao that combines sports, education and environmental awareness is being showcased in a new documentary produced by the BBC.
The documentary focuses on Future Goals, a program that teaches primary school children valuable life skills through football while encouraging them to care for the environment.
Future Goals is a partnership between Dutch football club Ajax and the Sandals Foundation. One of the project's most distinctive features is that children play using football goals made from recycled ocean plastic and discarded fishing nets collected from the sea.
According to the organizations behind the initiative, more than 4,000 kilograms of marine waste have been removed from nature over the past four years and repurposed into sports equipment, turning environmental pollution into opportunities for education and recreation.
The documentary arrives at a significant moment for Curaçao, following the island's historic debut at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which has brought unprecedented international attention to Curaçao and its football community.
Beyond promoting football, the Future Goals program aims to inspire young people to develop teamwork, leadership and environmental responsibility while demonstrating how sport can serve as a catalyst for positive social change.
The documentary is now available on the YouTube channels of Ajax and the Sandals Foundation and is scheduled to be broadcast on the BBC later this summer, bringing Curaçao's innovative youth program to an international audience.