The Hope League, an international initiative supported by the Barca Foundation and former FC Barcelona player Oleguer Presas, will set up community schools in northeast Syria and in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, the Barca Foundation announced on Monday.

According to a press release of the Barca Foundation, the Hope League is being launched to harness the power of football in promoting peace and social transformation in regions affected by conflict.

The project is jointly led by the Barca Foundation, La Caserna, the NOVACT Institute for Nonviolence, UPP, Doz International, IDare, and Casa Nostra Casa Vostra.

The football schools will be established in both northeast Syria and the Kurdistan Region, including key cities such as Erbil and Sulaymaniyah.

From June 25, 2025, until October 2026, participating youth will attend regular football school sessions and engage in two major gatherings scheduled for early 2026.

The project is funded by the Catalan Agency for Development Cooperation and by voluntary contributions.