Generations of refugees have made an immeasurable contribution to the development of Europe. Without refugees our culture and sport would not be the same.[/intro_paragraph]

This year on #worldrefugeeday we reveal a Euro 2016 Refugee XI. All of the players are refugees, or the children of refugees, who arrived in the country they represent after fleeing war or persecution. Many of them have inspiring stories to tell.

With the ball at their feet we think our team could be a match for anybody, off the field we hope they bring to life the observation of historian Eric Hobsbawm, “The imagined community of millions seems more real as a team of eleven named people.”

Sport can be a great means of integrating new arrivals, as many members of the Fare network are showing. You can see how they and many others are doing it in our database of refugees and football initiatives.

This summer we are supporting projects across Europe that link sport and inclusion with refugees in Austria, France, Greece, Germany, Hungary, Italy and Poland.