The Real Madrid Foundation brings Kurdish children’s dreams to life

For decades, football in Kurdistan was played in open fields, schoolyards, and neighborhood streets. Children — some barefoot, some in sandals — chased worn footballs across cracked ground, dreaming of victory and crowded stadiums long before they imagined professional careers. 

Those dreams now have a new address. On May 8, the Real Madrid Foundation officially launched its Educational Football Program in Erbil, enrolling boys and girls up to the age of 17 in a structured training program housed in a large indoor facility called Arena. More than 800 children registered in the program’s first month.

The Real Madrid Foundation, one of the world’s best-known youth football development organizations, operates training academies across Europe, Latin America, and Asia. Its arrival in Erbil is thanks to the efforts of Jasim Qasim, a 33-year-old engineer who grew up in Manchester before returning to Kurdistan with a long-held ambition: to undertake “an important and innovative project that serves my own people.”

A Coach Who Has Seen the World

Leading the training program is Juan José Miguel, a 55-year-old former professional who played in Spain’s top division before transitioning into coaching. His path to Erbil was an unlikely one. After retiring from playing, he ran academies in Mumbai and Bangalore affiliated with Boca Juniors and Arsenal, then spent years working with youth programs in Bahrain and across the Gulf.

He has seen a lot of football fields in a lot of countries. What he found in Erbil surprised him.

“I recall my childhood, playing with children in our neighborhood,” he said. “The interest, the love, the passion of children here — it is self-evident.”

Miguel says the hunger he sees in them is not something coaching can create; it is already there from the beginning. The city itself has caught him off guard. Though he rarely ventured outdoors during his time in Bahrain, Miguel now walks Erbil’s streets freely. “I do not feel like I am in the Middle East,” he said. “I honestly believe I am in a European city.”

A Dream Brought Home

Students are grouped according to age and skill level and may remain in the program until they turn 18. Qasim says additional coaches will join the team as the program grows, with the goal of advancing football across the region. Fees are charged for training and registration, though Qasim says the economic circumstances of Kurdish families are taken into account.

The ambitions extend beyond the training ground. Miguel is clear that the foundation’s mission is not purely athletic: “We are here to help children better understand life and grow up healthy, whether or not they become successful in football. At the end of the day, what matters most is that we coach and train capable individuals,” he told Kurdistan Chronicle. He added that the foundation will help those who do show exceptional ability secure contracts at leading local and European clubs.

From Dusty Fields to the Global Stage

The Real Madrid Foundation’s arrival in Erbil is, on the surface, a straightforward story of a global sports brand expanding its footprint. But on the ground, inside Arena, it represents something more significant.

For generations, football has occupied a special place in Kurdish society. Talent has never been in short supply, but opportunities have often been limited by infrastructure, resources, and access to professional development. The Educational Football Program seeks to narrow that gap by connecting local players to internationally recognized training methods and pathways.

The children who register here grew up playing the same way Kurdish kids always have: in schoolyards, on street corners, and in open fields outside Bharka, Binaslawa, and Setaqan. What has changed is the support structure surrounding those ambitions. Professional coaching, modern facilities, and exposure to global football networks now exist much closer to home.

That may be the most significant contribution the Real Madrid Foundation can make in Kurdistan. Not every child who enters Arena will become a professional footballer. But the program offers the chance for young people to develop their talents in an environment that treats their aspirations as worthy of investment.