The Western Union Company, a leader in global payment services and new global partner of the UEFA Europa League, and the Western Union Foundation, has announced they will turn every successful pass in this season’s competition into funding to support one day’s education for young people around the world.

Called PASS, the initiative will be fronted by former international football star Patrick Vieira and start during the Group Stage of the UEFA Europa League Season 2012/13, which kicks off this week across Europe.

The initiative aims to reach one million school days over the next three seasons and builds on the work the company has already done to support education globally.

“Moving money for better is at the heart of what we do, and education is one of the main reasons our customers send money,” said Hikmet Ersek, Western Union president and CEO.

“Through PASS, we intend to harness the power of football to build awareness of this challenge as well as deliver on-the-ground support that will make a difference to young people and their communities.”

To support PASS, Western Union will also be carrying out a comprehensive marketing and communications program that will seek to involve its customers and UEFA Europa League fans from around the world.

The initiative will provide teacher training and student scholarships through nonprofit, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), with an initial focus on eleven countries — Brazil, China, Colombia, Jamaica, Mexico, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, Romania, Russia and Turkey.

The PASS initiative will convert each successful pass completed during each match played from the Group Stage to the final of the 2012/2013 UEFA Europa League 2012 — 2015 into funds to cover one full day of school for one student, to be allocated and distributed based on the educational needs and costs of each identified market.