Zakho fans win FIFA Fan Award for toy donation gesture

ZAKHO — Supporters of Zakho Sports Club have won the 2025 FIFA Fan Award after a global vote, earning international recognition for a humanitarian gesture that drew attention far beyond football.

FIFA announced Tuesday that “Fans of Zakho SC have won the FIFA Fan Award 2025,” honoring supporters of the Iraqi club for donating toys to children suffering from illnesses. The award was presented during The Best FIFA Football Awards ceremony.

Zakho fans were shortlisted after an Iraqi Stars League match against Al-Hudood on May 13, when thousands of supporters threw stuffed toys onto the pitch before kickoff. The toys were later collected and donated to sick children, with images of the moment spreading widely on social media in Iraq and abroad.

In a statement, the club said, “Throwing children’s toys inside the stadium showed exemplary humanitarian spirit, recognised by the sports community in Kurdistan, Iraq, and Asia.” The statement added, “Our fans are the backbone of the team and consistently draw attention with their creative activities. We hope their support continues as we strive for greater success.”

Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani congratulated the supporters in a post on X, saying, “Congratulations to the passionate fans of Zakho FC on winning FIFA’s Best Fan Award. Thank you to everyone who voted.” He added, “This is a great win for sports and for sports fans across Kurdistan and Iraq.”

The Zakho supporters edged two other finalists, Argentine fan Alejandro Ciganotto and late Spanish national team supporter Manuel Cáceres, known as “Manolo the Drummer,” to claim the award. It marked the first time fans of an Iraqi or Kurdish club were nominated and went on to win the FIFA Fan Award.

The prize, launched in 2016, honors “an exceptional expression of commitment from a fan or group of fans irrespective of league, gender or nationality,” FIFA said, and can also recognize “a moment or gesture which struck a chord with the football world.”

The winner was decided through public voting on FIFA’s official website after the finalists were selected by a panel of FIFA legends and football experts.

The victory followed public calls for support from Iraqi leaders, including Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani, who urged Iraqis and Kurds worldwide to vote for the Zakho supporters.