Pranav Birje | Senior Correspondent
Mumbai, May 29, 2025: Leading tyre maker Apollo Tyres today announced the launch of the fifth edition of its flagship grassroots football programme, United We Play (UWP), in the presence of Manchester United players Harry Maguire, André Onana and Diogo Dalot.
Supported by Manchester United, United We Play is a pan-India initiative by Apollo Tyres to support young footballers in India by giving them a platform to showcase their skills with the objective of motivating aspiring footballers to continue playing, by engaging with them, and introducing them to global training methods.
Harry Maguire, André Onana and Diogo Dalot, who are on their maiden visit to India, officially launched and kicked off the activities for the fifth season of the United We Play programme. Over the past four seasons, the United We Play programme has reached out to over 30000 aspiring footballers across 25 cities in India.
Speaking at the launch, Harry Maguire said, “It has been a privilege to be here today launching the new season of ‘United We Play’. Manchester United has fans around the world and we can feel the passion that exists for the team and for the sport here in India. The work of the club and Apollo Tyres is ensuring the next generation of talent has the opportunity play football in excellent facilities, with the infrastructure around them to nurture talent. We have seen first-hand today how impactful the United We Play programme is and the positive effect it has at the grassroots level.”
Rajesh Dahiya, Vice President, Commercial (India, SAARC and Southeast Asia), Apollo Tyres Ltd said, “As our flagship football programme, United We Play is of immense importance for Apollo Tyres and we are extremely proud to see it grow year after year. This is the fifth season of the initiative, and the reach and response over the past four years has been phenomenal. This year’s launch is extra special owing to the presence of global stars such as Harry Maguire, André Onana and Diogo Dalot and we thank them as well as our partners Manchester United for helping us to grow the programme further.”
The fourth season was an overwhelming success last year which concluded with the visit of Manchester United legend Gary Neville, wherein more than 15,000 young footballers from across the country participated. It reached out to 18 cities pan-India and over 100 coaches were engaged through virtual Manchester United Soccer Schools training sessions, ensuring that the teachings and training methods reached every footballer involved in the programme. In addition, the initiative was also expanded to more cities in the Asia Pacific and Middle East regions across cities such as Kathmandu, Bangkok, Dhaka and Dubai.
The initial phase of the programme will be run by domestic coaches, before young footballers get a chance to impress coaches from the Manchester United Soccer School (MUSS). The best performers from across locations, will participate in the grand finale of the competition, and winners will get a trip to Manchester, with several experiential activities at Old Trafford, the home of Manchester United.