'Our greatest reward': How Tous Au Foot continues to change lives

• Noemie Carage and Lena Goetsch received the 2025 FIFPRO Player Impact Award for establishing Tous Au Foot
• The initiative gives children and adults with intellectual disabilities the opportunity to play football in a safe and inclusive environment
• Nearly a year after receiving the award, Carage and Goetsch reflect on the project’s growth and explain why they remain committed to its future

Almost a year has passed since Noemie Carage and Lena Goetsch received the FIFPRO Player Impact Award for Tous Au Foot, the inclusion project they built at French club Dijon FCO.

The initiative uses football to promote inclusion by giving people with intellectual disabilities the opportunity to train, play and feel part of a team. While both players have now left the club, the project they created there continues to make a positive impact.

"This award has been very important for Tous Au Foot," said Carage. "It has allowed us to continue the project in good conditions and organise many activities throughout the year."

The funding received from winning the FIFPRO Player Impact Award in November 2025 went towards a Christmas tournament at the indoor football centre, a season-ending tournament, and gifts for members and volunteers who keep the section running.

For Goetsch, though, the real value of the award was never just financial. "Beyond the financial aspect, this award has above all been a real recognition of the commitment of everyone who has been involved in the project over the past few years," she explained.

"We received many congratulations, both in person and in writing. The award also helped us talk more about the section and attract new schools and new members."

A day to remember

One of last season's most memorable moments for Tous Au Foot came when Carage’s Dijon hosted Goetsch’s Fleury in a Division 1 Feminine match. Many of the Tous Au Foot participants and coaches attended the match; participants accompanied the players onto the pitch, served as ball boys and girls, and took part in a half-time challenge. 

When the final whistle sounded, their thoughts immediately returned to the project.

"They came to talk to us and tell us about their training sessions, the next tournaments and the upcoming Tous Au Foot events," Goetsch said. "I could see how happy and proud they were. Tous Au Foot is a sporting project, but it goes far beyond football."

Carage continued: "Several coaches said that they did not realise how much this section was helping the participants, both at school and outside of school.

"Several times, they told us that from the beginning of the week, the boys and girls were already looking forward to the next training session. Some of them would talk about nothing else. Hearing these kinds of things really means a lot to us because we don't always realise how important these moments are for them."

The visibility generated by the Player Impact Award also helped the initiative establish new partnerships, including one with VYV 3 Bourgogne, while strengthening its position within the club.

"The award allowed more people to discover what we do," Carage said. "It opened new doors and helped show that football can be a real tool for inclusion. This recognition strengthened the credibility of the project, including within the club itself."

Building a lasting legacy

While they are now at different clubs – Carage joined Swiss club Servette and Goetsch is still at Fleury – the players' connection to Tous Au Foot remains as strong as ever. Both continue to coordinate the project remotely and are in regular contact with those delivering the programme in Dijon.

Their work includes helping to organise training sessions and events, managing registrations and emails, and addressing the challenges that arise throughout the season.

"Even though we have both left Dijon, it was important to us that Tous Au Foot continued," Goetsch said. "Together, we are putting a new organisation in place to ensure the section continues, but also to allow it to keep growing.

"Our goal is for Tous Au Foot to become a long-term part of the club. We also hope the project can inspire other clubs to develop similar initiatives."

Although they remain closely involved, the two players miss being at the training sessions and spending time with the participants, coaches, interns and volunteers who helped turn their idea into a community.

For Carage and Goetsch, those sessions offered something valuable in return: they provided moments of connection and relief from the pressures of professional football.

"Every training session was a moment of sharing, laughter and good times," Carage said. "These moments were also very important for us as players because they allowed us to take a break from the pressure and demands of high-level sport.

"Seeing the participants develop, grow in confidence and enjoy themselves on the pitch will undoubtedly remain our greatest reward."