SEPT. 7, 2021

PRESS RELEASE (NOT EDITED):

CUP26: 49 football clubs come together to fight climate change
● Fan action determines the winning team.
● Initiative backed by the UK Government’s Together for Our Planet and Sky Zero, as
the world builds up to COP26 this November in Glasgow.
● Football fans, schools and families are invited to join.

London, 7 September – Today at Wembley Stadium, Planet Super League and Count Us In
have joined forces to launch CUP26 – a tournament encouraging football fans, children and
families to take climate action. The launch event, at Wembley Stadium connected by EE,
features former England player Ledley King, Prime Minister’s COP26 Climate spokesperson
Allegra Stratton, children and participating club mascots.

CUP26 is the biggest ever football campaign on climate change, with 49 football club
community organisations, including historic rivalries like Tottenham and Arsenal, and others,
like Southampton, Chesterfield and Northampton coming together to fight climate change.
With approximately 3.5 billion football fans around the world, the tournament harnesses the
global passion for the sport to fight climate change on an unprecedented scale.

In CUP26, fan action on climate determines the tournament winner. Fans sign up for free at
CUP26.co.uk and score goals for their club by completing planet-protecting activities. Clubs
play weekly fixtures against their rivals, and the club whose supporters score the most goals
wins the match. There are 100 goal-scoring activities on the website, including having a
delicious plant based meal, cycling and walking to work and school, and the Lucas
Moura-supported “No Moura Landfill”, where fans are invited to show off their football skills
while recycling. The tournament trophy will be awarded to the tournament winner in the first
week of COP26.

Activity Example

The tournament kicks off as the world builds up to COP26, with football clubs leveraging the
passion of their fans, raising awareness, driving citizen climate action, and creating real
momentum ahead of the climate conference. CUP26 has the power to reach new audiences
and make climate change part of the mainstream. It will be a central part of Sky’s Game
Zero: the world’s first net zero carbon major football match, ahead of COP26, and Tottenham
Hotspur’s Premier League fixture against Chelsea.

CUP26 is supported by the UK Government’s campaign Together for Our Planet as well as
media partner Sky Zero, National Grid and Nature’s Bounty. At a critical time for the planet, it
shows that everyday fans, families and the wider public care about climate change and are
willing to do their part. But they want world leaders to do more too, and deliver solutions at
COP26 that will prevent further climate change.

Tom Gribbin, CEO of Planet Super League said: CUP26 is our largest tournament, with
over half the professional football clubs in the UK taking part. Fans of all ages can represent
their club, do their bit for the planet and help compete for the trophy. We’re delighted to be
working alongside Count Us In and we look forward to sharing exciting moments and
surprises as the season unfolds.

Allegra Stratton, Prime Minister’s spokesperson to COP26 said: The COP26 climate
summit is our best chance for world leaders to come together to fight climate change and
protect our planet for future generations.

Children, schools and communities are already playing their part by going one step greener –
finding ingenious ways to bring down their own carbon emissions – and now their steps will
give their beloved football club the chance to win the CUP26 tournament.

I am excited to see so many top clubs joining forces to use the power of football to drive
change. Every family, school and workplace across the country can take part in CUP26, for
their club, their community and the planet.

Fans, schools and families can sign up for free on CUP26.co.uk from today. The tournament
kicks off on Monday 13 September.

The first week’s fixtures are:
Arsenal v Burnley
Aston Villa v Burton
Cardiff v Walsall
Derby v Stoke
Everton v Luton
Fulham v Bristol Rovers
Huddersfield v Reading
Leeds v Cambridge
Lincoln City v Rotherham
Liverpool v Crystal Palace
Middlesbrough v Wrexham
Northampton v Notts County
Nottm Forest v MK Dons
Plymouth v Hibernian
Preston v Ipswich
QPR v Swindon
Sheff United v Chesterfield
Southampton v Hull City
Swansea v Exeter
Tottenham v Chelsea
West Brom v Wycombe
Wigan v Shrewsbury