14-05-2025
More than £65,000 raised for charity at football tournament
More than £65,000 was raised for charity at a football tournament at Watford on Saturday held to raise awareness of mental health issues.
A total of 32 teams took part in The Mental Health World Cup, Watford FC's Community Sports and Education Trust, and fans channel WD18 organised the event at Vicarage Road Stadium.
The money will be given to charities Goal, Mind, OLLIE, Rennie Grove Peace Hospice, and the Trust.
Sam Ucko, from WD18, said: "The football club and the trust were unwavering in their support, reinforcing our pride in a club that continues to build on the legacy of our greatest-ever manager, Graham Taylor—someone who would have wholeheartedly embraced a tournament like this."
The winning team featured Watford FC Academy coaching staff, just a day after the Watford FC Under 18s won their semi-final in the Premier League Under-18 Professional Development League play-off final. (Image: Watford FC Trust) Mental Health World Cup founder Giancarlo Gaglione said: Last year, over 6,000 people took their own life, 3/4 of them were male.
"My own brother was one of those statistics in 2012 when he took his own life with no signs he was struggling with depression, aged just 26.
"The Mental Health World Cup exists to let people know that suicide is the biggest killer of men under 50, to help try and raise awareness around this silent epidemic that is massively underfunded by the government.
"We are delighted with the amount raised, as that will go towards our mental health charity partners who are out there literally saving lives.
"We hope that normalising the conversation around suicide and mental health using football, we'll move the needle and help shift the numbers to make it a more positive society for everyone."
Ucko said: "It was a privilege to help organise the first-ever Mental Health World Cup at Vicarage Road this year.
"From the moment Giancarlo shared his story and the inspiration behind creating the tournament, we knew we wanted to play a role in bringing the event to Vicarage Road.
"As a fan channel, we've seen first hand how mental health affects football fans.
"Having the opportunity to raise funds and stand against suicide while watching our closest friends and family play at the stadium was truly special—something we will never take for granted.
"The funds raised will provide crucial support to people in Hertfordshire and across the country, ensuring help reaches those who need it most.
"Football has an incredible ability to unite and uplift, and this tournament was yet another powerful reminder of that."
The organisers (Mental Health World Cup, Watford Football Club's Community Sports and Education Trust and WD18) would like to thank their headline sponsors, Go Cardless and Total Security, and Watford FC kit manufacturer Kelme - who supplied all 32 teams with unique shirts and shorts. (Image: Watford FC Trust) The tournament was won by Chile (Watford Under 18s), who defeated Brazil (2-0 to the Bane FC) 3-1 in the final.
The winning team featured Watford FC Academy coaching staff, just a day after the Watford FC Under 18s won their semi-final in the Premier League Under-18 Professional Development League play-off final.
Their Mental Health World Cup team included the likes of former Hornets players Lloyd Doyley, Adrian Mariappa, and Dan Gosling.
Individual awards were also presented - Sean Walker representing Ghana (I Declare a Game of 5s FC) won the Golden Boot, whilst Jack Mooney of Brazil (2-0 to the Bane FC) won the Overall Player of the Tournament.
The organisers thanked headline sponsors Go Cardless and Total Security, and Watford FC kit manufacturer Kelme, which supplied all 32 teams with unique shirts and shorts.
They also expressed their gratitude to event sponsors Celtic, The Grove, Overbury, MCS, Sale Group, and Mad Squirrel.
