Homeless World Cup facts for kids
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| Founded | 1999 |
|---|---|
| Region | Worldwide |
| Current champions | M:  Mexico (5th title)W: Mexico (9th title) |
| Most successful team(s) | M: Mexico (5 titles) W: Mexico (9 titles) |
| Television broadcasters | FIFA+ |
The Homeless World Cup (HWC) is a special soccer tournament held every year. It's organized by the Homeless World Cup Foundation, a group that uses sports to help end homelessness. In this tournament, teams made up of people who have experienced homelessness come from all over the world to compete.
The idea for the tournament started in 1999. The first event was held in 2003. In 2008, a competition for women's teams was added. Since 2010, every tournament has had both men's and women's teams. The 2025 tournament took place in Oslo, Norway.
Contents
The Story of the Cup
The Homeless World Cup was started by Mel Young and Harald Schmied in 2001. They wanted to use the power of soccer to bring attention to homelessness and help people change their lives.
The very first tournament was in 2003 in Graz, Austria. Since then, it has been hosted by many amazing cities around the world, including:
- Gothenburg, Sweden
- Edinburgh, Scotland
- Cape Town, South Africa
- Melbourne, Australia
- Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Paris, France
- Mexico City, Mexico
- Cardiff, Wales
The 2019 tournament in Cardiff was opened by the famous actor Michael Sheen. The 2020 event, which was planned for Tampere, Finland, was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The tournament came back in 2023 in Sacramento, California, and was held in Seoul, South Korea in 2024.
How the Tournament Works
Who Can Play?
To play in the Homeless World Cup, players must meet a few rules. They must:
- Be at least 16 years old.
- Have never played in a Homeless World Cup before.
Players must also fit at least one of these descriptions:
- Have been homeless at some point in the last year.
- Earn their money by selling street papers.
- Be asylum seekers (people who have left their country for safety) who are waiting for official status.
- Be getting help to overcome personal challenges and have been homeless in the past two years.
Game Rules
The games are fast and exciting! Here's how they are played:
- Teams: Four players from each team are on the field at a time. This includes one goalkeeper and three outfield players. There are also four substitutes ready to jump in.
- Game Time: Matches are 14 minutes long, split into two 7-minute halves.
- Scoring: A win gets a team 3 points. A loss gets 0 points. If there's a tie, the game is decided by a sudden-death penalty shootout. The shootout winner gets 2 points, and the loser gets 1 point.
- The Field: The games are played on a small field, about 22 meters long and 16 meters wide. Since 2015, the fields have been made of a special artificial grass from a company called Act Global.
Teams From Around the World
The Homeless World Cup works with over 80 "National Partners" in different countries. These partners run soccer programs that help people in their local communities. Countries that have sent teams include:
Afghanistan
Argentina
Australia
Austria
Belgium
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Brazil
Bulgaria
Cambodia
Canada
Chile
Colombia
Costa Rica
Croatia
Denmark
Egypt
England
Finland
France
Germany
Ghana
Greece
Hungary
India
Indonesia
Ireland
Italy
Kenya
Kyrgyzstan
Lithuania
Mexico
Netherlands
Nigeria
Northern Ireland
Norway
Pakistan
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Russia
Scotland
Slovenia
South Africa
South Korea
Sweden
Switzerland
Ukraine
United States
Wales
Zimbabwe
Tournament Champions
Men's Winners
Women's Winners
| Year | Host | Winners | Score | Runners-up | Third place |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Melbourne,  Australia |
 Zambia |
7–1 |  Liberia |
 Cameroon |
| 2010 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
 Brazil |
7-3 |  Mexico |
 Haiti |
| 2011 | Paris,  France |
 Kenya |
4–3 | Mexico |
Brazil |
| 2012 | Mexico City, Mexico |
Mexico |
6-2 | Brazil |
 Chile |
| 2013 | Poznań,  Poland |
Mexico |
4-1 | Chile |
 Hungary |
| 2014 | Santiago,  Chile |
Chile |
4–3 | Mexico |
Brazil |
| 2015 | Amsterdam,  Netherlands |
Mexico |
3–1 | Chile |
 Norway |
| 2016 | Glasgow,  Scotland |
Mexico |
5-0 |  Kyrgyzstan |
Chile |
| 2017 | Oslo,  Norway |
Mexico |
4–2 | Chile |
Kenya |
| 2018 | Mexico City, Mexico |
Mexico |
5–3 |  Colombia |
Chile |
| 2019 | Cardiff,  Wales |
Mexico |
5-1 |  Peru |
 Romania |
| 2023 | Sacramento,  United States |
Mexico |
2-0 | Chile |
Romania |
| 2024 | Seoul,  South Korea |
Mexico |
5-2 | Romania |
 Poland |
The Cup in Movies and TV
The Homeless World Cup has inspired many people, including filmmakers. You can watch the games live on FIFA+.
Several documentaries and movies have been made about the tournament and its players.
- Kicking It (2008): This documentary follows seven players on their journey to the 2006 Homeless World Cup in South Africa. It shows their lives in Afghanistan, Kenya, Ireland, the USA, Spain, and Russia. The film is narrated by actor Colin Farrell.
- Dream (2023): A comedy-drama film from South Korea about a soccer player who has to coach the national team for the Homeless World Cup.
- The Beautiful Game (2024): This movie on Netflix is about the English team competing in the Homeless World Cup. It stars actors Bill Nighy and Micheal Ward.
Journalist Rick Reilly wrote about the event, saying, "Seeing these people finally getting cheered, finally feeling some self-worth, was great... just getting to be regular people for once."
See also
In Spanish: Copa Mundial de Fútbol Calle para niños
- Homeless Workers' Movement
