CoachMate Showcases Grassroots Innovation at UEFA Champions Innovate 2026
New Zealand technology helping shape the future of grassroots football in Europe
Last week in Budapest, CoachMate wrapped up its participation in UEFA Champions Innovate 2026, a six-month innovation programme bringing together leading startups, football experts, and National Associations from across Europe to address some of the biggest challenges facing the grassroots game.
Held alongside the UEFA Champions League Final, the programme challenged participants to explore one powerful question:
How do we create positive environments and role models that encourage positive behaviours in grassroots football?
For CoachMate, the answer started with the people who make grassroots football possible every week — volunteer coaches, parents, teachers, and club administrators.
Supporting the people who shape the grassroots experience
As part of the programme, CoachMate partnered with the Hungarian Football Federation (MLSZ) to deliver a pilot with community football coaches across Hungary.
The pilot provided coaches with easy access to football activities, practice plans, and coaching support through the CoachMate platform, with content localised and delivered under the MLSZ brand.
The goal was simple: make quality support easier to access and help coaches feel more confident when delivering sessions.
The results exceeded expectations:
97% of coaches said they would recommend CoachMate to other coaches
93% said they would use the platform again in the future
93% rated themselves as extremely confident when using CoachMate to run sessions
100% said access to the app made them feel more supported by MLSZ
Perhaps most importantly, coaches consistently told us that the platform helped remove the uncertainty and self-doubt that many volunteers experience when stepping onto the field.
Technology is not the solution. People are.
One of the strongest themes throughout UEFA Champions Innovate was that positive sporting environments are created by people, not platforms.
Technology alone will never develop great role models, inspire young players, or build positive club cultures.
However, technology can play an important role in supporting the people who do.
When coaches feel confident, prepared, and supported, they are better equipped to create engaging, inclusive, and enjoyable experiences for young players.
That belief sits at the heart of everything CoachMate does.
Our mission has always been to make coaching easier, more rewarding, and more accessible for the volunteers and educators who give their time to sport.
Learning from the global football community
The showcase event in Budapest brought together football legends, industry leaders, UEFA representatives, National Associations, and innovators from across Europe.
CoachMate shared the stage alongside fellow Champions Innovate participants Futbolea, PACETEQ, and The Well HQ, each presenting unique approaches to supporting the grassroots game.
The programme also provided opportunities to learn from former elite players and football leaders whose experiences reinforced the importance of positive environments, visible role models, and accessible support pathways.
One of the most valuable outcomes of the programme was the collaboration itself. While each organisation approached the challenge differently, there was a shared belief that meaningful change in grassroots football requires collective effort and innovation.
A New Zealand success story on the European stage
CoachMate was founded in New Zealand with a simple vision: make it easier for sports organisations to support coaches, volunteers, players, and families.
To see that vision resonate with one of the world's leading sporting organisations and be showcased to European football stakeholders was a proud moment for the entire team.
We are incredibly grateful to UEFA, MLSZ, the coaches who participated in the pilot, and everyone involved in Champions Innovate 2026 for their openness, collaboration, and commitment to improving the grassroots experience.
The journey continues
While the showcase marked the conclusion of UEFA Champions Innovate 2026, it also highlighted the scale of the opportunity that still exists across grassroots sport.
Every week, millions of volunteers around the world step onto fields, courts, and training grounds to help young people learn, grow, and enjoy sport.
If we can continue finding better ways to support those people, the impact extends far beyond the game itself.
Budapest may have been the showcase.
The real legacy is what happens next.
