| It all started in 2001 at the International Network of | | | | soccer uniforms. For the time, eight female teams also |
| Street Papers Conference, held in Cape Town, South | | | | competed for the Homeless Women's World Cup. |
| Africa. While looking for an international language that | | | | Afghanistan won the men's title, giving Russia a 5-4 |
| could unite homeless people across the world, Mel | | | | beating, while Zambia lifted the Homeless Women's |
| Young, cofounder of The Big Issue Scotland, and | | | | World Cup trophy, defeating Liberia 7-1. |
| Harald Schmied, editor of the Austrian street paper, | | | | In 2009, the Homeless World Cup was held at Milan in |
| Megaphon, were struck by the unifying strength of the | | | | Italy in the month of September. This time round, 500 |
| game of soccer. They were looking for something that | | | | players from 48 nations took the pitch in their national |
| created a bond, a universal language spoken by all, and | | | | team uniforms. Ukraine delighted its fans by winning the |
| couldn't find a better fit than soccer! And so, the | | | | tournament. A series of additional cups saw Chile as |
| Homeless World Cup was born. Mel and Harald made | | | | the proud winner of the Dignitary Cup and South |
| it happen in 18 months! | | | | Africa became the City Cup Winner. |
| The first Homeless World Cup tournament took place | | | | With the countdown to the 2010 FIFA World Cup |
| in Graz, Austria, and was a phenomenal success. Not | | | | ticking, things are looking up for South African soccer. |
| only did it have the kind of impact on the players that | | | | This is the first time in the history of street soccer that |
| Mel and Harald had hoped for, it created a strong | | | | South Africa brought the Homeless World Cup trophy |
| sense of unity and joy they'd never seen before. | | | | home. The South African team returned to a warm |
| According to the Homeless World Cup rules, the | | | | welcome at the Parliament, hosted by ID leader, |
| players can either be male or female, but they need to | | | | Patricia de Lille. Vice Captain, Martin, believes the |
| be at least 16 years old at the time of the tournament. | | | | team's success on the pitch is important in revealing |
| They should've been homeless at some point after | | | | the team's worth to their homeland. According to him, |
| last year's World Cup or made a living as street paper | | | | "If people on the streets were given opportunities like |
| vendors or are asylum seekers, with neither positive | | | | this more often, no one would turn to drugs. I will never |
| asylum status nor work permit. | | | | turn to drugs again." Martin, who lived on the streets |
| The year 2008 saw the Homeless World Cup | | | | for 22 years, turned his life around by joining the |
| tournament being played in Melbourne, Australia. | | | | Homeless World Cup team. There's been no looking |
| Teams from 56 countries proudly wore their national | | | | back for him ever since... |