FC Mother wants to leverage global soccer fandom to improve maternal health

A new initiative using soccer fandom to enhance maternal health is launching this Sunday in celebration of Mother’s Day.

Maternal mortality rates remain alarmingly high, with more than 700 women dying daily in 2023 due to preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth, as reported by the World Health Organization. Tackling this challenge has been a priority for healthcare professionals and community workers.

Former professional soccer player Morad Fareed is optimistic about making strides in maternal health through a love for sports. He has established FC Mother, a community platform connecting expectant and new mothers with a support system. The organization’s goal is to utilize global football clubs as platforms for enhancing public health, a concept referred to as “H-sports” or healing sports.

Fareed expressed, “What we did was unify the world of maternal health and use football as a vehicle to distribute it, to celebrate it, and to gamify it.” FC Mother has garnered support from researchers at Harvard Medical School, Harvard’s School of Public Health, and team doctors from renowned clubs like Real Madrid, Manchester United, and Arsenal FC.

The organization is launching the “World Cup of Healing,” a competition that assesses health outcomes of participating women categorized by their reported soccer fandom. Through the FC Mother platform, mothers can access services, make connections, and provide feedback through regular surveys to track their well-being.

The initial competition, set to commence on Sunday and run for 60 days until the FIFA Club World Cup Final in July, will pit mothers from three Brazilian football clubs against those from three American clubs. The teams were ranked based on maternal health outcomes data from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington.

Fareed aims to demonstrate that using football can enhance the quality of life for both mothers and children, as measured by quality-adjusted life-years (QUALYs). Although FC Mother focuses on community maternal health through football, medical pregnancy care remains the responsibility of healthcare providers.

The initiative’s leaderboard showcases team statistics and offers a platform for immediate support among users. FC Mother is intended to be a for-profit venture, attracting interest from corporations, sports entities, and philanthropic funds seeking to invest in a platform that delivers health benefits at a lower cost than traditional medical interventions.

The goal is to expand participation in maternal health outcomes competitions during the 2026 World Cup, with 40 football clubs expected to join.