One small step for two girls, one giant kick for mankind

This event was the culmination of a UK-wide competition where children designed the official kit for 'Moon United'.

The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), along with Beth England, revealed the first-ever home and away football kits for lunar athletes. This announcement follows a campaign by the IET, predicting that humans could be playing football on the moon by as early as 2035.

The nationwide competition by the IET encouraged children aged 4 to 13 to design the inaugural 'Moon United' kits. The aim was to challenge traditional engineering perceptions and show children how they could merge interests in football and space with STEM careers.

Erim Ali, 13, and Ishaani Nair, 7, created the winning designs, chosen from over 500 entries. Their futuristic designs, rivalling any Premier League club's shirt, were brought to life, and presented by Beth England, star of Tottenham Hotspur and the Women's Super League, and British engineer and Aerodynamicist Sophie Harker.

Erim, winner in the 8-13 age category and a Tottenham Hotspur fan from Middlesex, aspires to be an engineer. Inspired by Mae Jemison and Malala Yousafzai, Erim designed a unisex kit with geometric, molecule-inspired shapes. The judges praised her environmental considerations and an innovative sweat absorption patch in her design.

Erim expressed her excitement, saying: “As a Spurs fan it’s an honour to receive my winning shirt design from Beth England. The competition really inspired me to think big, be creative and show how science can change how we work, live, and play in the future. Maybe one day I will get to wear the shirt for a kickabout on the Moon as 2035 is not that far away.”

Coventry-based Ishaani, winner of the 4-7 age group, designed a space-themed shirt with playful solar system illustrations. The judges admired the colourful design and her creative use of Saturn as a football.

Ishaani shared her joy, stating: “I am so happy to be a winner and can’t wait to wear my shirt. One day I hope I’ll get to play football on the Moon with my sister. I’d love that.”

Beth England, presenting the kits, said: “It’s an old football phrase, but the girls did an amazing job and I’m over the moon to be part of this campaign to involve youngsters in STEM. While science and engineering play a big part in the future, it’s critical to my life as a footballer today. Without STEM, we wouldn’t have the beautiful game as we know it today.”

Sophie Harker, aerospace engineer and judge, emphasised the role of engineering in making dreams like lunar football a reality. “There’s so much potential for engineering to help make things we only dream of, like playing football on the Moon, a reality, and with imaginative, inventive children like Erim and Ishaani I’m hopeful that the next generation will be the ones to make it happen.”

The IET's Moon United campaign also included predictions about Lunar Football and adaptations needed for the moon's conditions, published in the first-ever Lunar Football Rule Book.

The competition and campaign aimed to inspire future engineers and foster excitement for STEM among children.