Hundreds of soccer players from around the world will step on to the pitch on Saturday to compete in the Homeless World Cup, an international competition held this year in California for people living without permanent shelter or in rehab centers. The 40-team tournament, which runs from July 8-15 at the U
Hundreds of soccer players from around the world will step on to the pitch on Saturday to compete in the Homeless World Cup, an international competition held this year in California for people living without permanent shelter or in rehab centers.
"Soccer is a unifying force, it's incredibly powerful and in my view, more generally, it really has a lot of power to tackle some of the most serious problems in the world," said Mel Young, co-founder of the Homeless World Cup Foundation, which says it offers homeless athletes a community for support and seeks to erase the stigma of homelessness.
The foundation said the players come from a range of situations: refugees, asylum seekers or people forced into shelters or on to the street because of a lack of affordable housing. All participants have been paired with partner organizations in their home countries that provide mental and physical health support, Young said. When ready, players receive help finding work or a home.This is the first time the Homeless World Cup will take place in the U.S. Previous tournaments were in South Africa, France, and Denmark.
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