Manchester United‘s Harry Maguire, André Onana, and Diogo Dalot were present during the launch of the Apollo Tyres‘ United We Play.
United We Play Provides Opportunity for Aspiring Footballers
Manchester United players Harry Maguire, André Onana, and Diogo Dalot were the main attractions as Apollo Tyres officially launched the fifth edition of its grassroots football programme, United We Play (UWP), on May 30, 2025, in Mumbai, India.
According to the company’s official release, United We Play is a “pan-India initiative 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.” Under the programme, the young footballers will be introduced to global training methods.
During the past four seasons, the United We Play programme has reached out to over 30,000 aspiring footballers across 25 cities in India. This year, the programme was officially launched by Maguire, Onana, and Dalot who were on their maiden visit to India.
“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 to 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,” said Maguire.
Rajesh Dahiya, Vice President of Commercial (India, SAARC and Southeast Asia) at Apollo Tyres 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 have 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.”
Last season, Manchester United‘s former captain and legend, Gary Neville, was present at the United We Play event. More than 15,000 young footballers from 18 cities came from all over India to participate in the programme. They practised under the tutelage of more than 100 coaches through virtual Manchester United Soccer Schools training sessions.
Apollo Tyres in its official statement said that the initiative has been expanded to more cities in the Asia Pacific and Middle East regions such as Kathmandu (Nepal), Bangkok (Thailand), Dhaka (Bangladesh), and Dubai (The United Arab Emirates).
“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,” the company wrote.
