Nikolay Nikolov and Maksim Marinov represented Bulgaria during the “Football for Friendship” International Children’s Social Programme

The Ludogorets Academy talents Nikolay Nikolov (on the left) and Maksim Marinov represented Bulgaria during the “Football for Friendship” International Children’s Social Programme under the guidance of the coach Dimitar Stoykov. The event aims to guide the youth to a healthier way of living and to teach them values such as friendship, equity, honesty, peace, and victory via the magic of football.

The forum gathers children from more than 211 countries and uses football to bond them together. This year, the event was online due to the pandemic. A special web-based platform was created that made all the activities possible. The Ludogorets players born in 2008 succeeded – Nikolov took 16^th place overall among more than 250 players.

One of the main ideas of the 2020 forum was setting a Guinness record for the most online participants in a football-related event. Roberto Carlos met everyone online. The Brazilian legend answered all questions and shared stories from his active days.

Despite the pandemic, the youth forum achieved its goals – many new friendships were initiated and a new world record was set.