Photo: W. Kehl
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Frenchman Robert Pires, a 1998 World Cup champion and 2000 European Cup winner, as well as Villareal midfielder, has been a "FIFA for SOS Children's Villages" Ambassador since 1998.
Pires often visits children's village or invites the children to spend a day of games and fun. Ahead of a big benefit match for SOS Children's Villages in 2000 between a FIFA World Stars team and the French national side , Pires visited the SOS Children's Village Marseille along with football greats Zinedine Zidane and Laurent Blanc.
Photo: SOS Archives
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In 2002, Pires "kidnapped" the children in the care of SOS Children's Villages Marseille and whisked them off to an amusement park in Antibes. Before transferring to Olympic Marseille, Pires gave part of the profits of a video about his career in Reims and Metz to the French SOS Children's Villages Association.
In 2003, Pires spoke about the importance of sport and social responsibility, as well as his own commitment to disadvantaged children, in a press event before the start of the FIFA Federations Cup in France. "I am lucky to have a family life which enabled me to achieve my childhood dream: becoming a footballer! Today, not all children are so lucky, and for many of them a family life is their biggest wish."