As football fans across England eagerly ask, “What time is kickoff?” ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Women’s Aid is delivering a very different answer.
The UK-based charity has launched “The Other Kick Off,” a powerful awareness campaign designed to spotlight the rise in domestic abuse incidents that often follows major football matches. Instead of promoting England’s opening World Cup fixture against Croatia, the campaign highlights 11:37 PM — the estimated time when reports of domestic abuse are most likely to surge after the game ends.
Created with creative agency ELVIS, the campaign is built on a simple but striking insight: millions of fans search for kickoff times before every match. Women’s Aid is using that familiar behaviour to draw attention to a hidden reality experienced by thousands of women and children behind closed doors.
The 11:37 PM figure was calculated using historical reporting data, average match duration, stoppage time, post-match drinking patterns, and travel behaviour. While football itself does not cause domestic abuse, research cited by Women’s Aid shows incidents increase significantly during major tournaments.
The campaign is appearing across outdoor billboards, transport hubs, fan zones, pubs, search platforms, and social media channels, encouraging people to look beyond the excitement of the tournament and recognise those who may be at risk.
Women’s Aid says the initiative aims to remind the public that while millions celebrate football’s biggest moments, others may be fearing what happens after the final whistle.
The campaign demonstrates how brands and organisations can use cultural moments not just for visibility, but to drive conversations around urgent social issues.
