Homeless World Cup Results

Milan (Source: AVID Soccer News)

The 6th annual Homeless World Cup took place earlier this month in Italy.  This is a little known event that does can truly change lives.  Worldwide homeless people take a once in a lifetime opportunity to represent their country and change their lives forever. 77% of players go on to find a home, come off drugs and alcohol, get into education, jobs, training, repair relationships with friends and family. This represents the best of grass roots and international soccer.

Final Results:

1. Ukraine
2. Portugal
3. Brazil
4. Nigeria
5. Ireland
6. Ghana
7. Mexico
8. Poland

Facts about the HWC:

Previous Cups:

• Austria 2003
• Sweden 2004
• Edinburgh 2005
• Cape Town 2006
• Copenhagen 2007
• Melbourne 2008

Why have a Homeless World Cup?

• There are one billion homeless people in our world today. In the USA there are 3.5 million homeless people. Here each person costs society around $60,000 a year to be homeless. It costs $40,000 per year for one place in an emergency shelter in New York.
• The Homeless World Cup exists to end this so we all have a home, a basic human need. We use football as a trigger to inspire and empower people who are homeless to change their own lives. We do this firstly by creating a world-class, annual, international football tournament; and secondly, by inspiring and supporting grass roots football projects working with homeless and socially excluded people all year round.
• And it works. 77% of players participating go on to change their lives. Sport has the power to change lives, to change the world.
• Soccer is a great leveller, it connects people and is a universal sport for everyone.

Who competes in the Homeless World Cup?

• Around 500 players from 48 nations around the globe attended the annual Homeless World Cup event in 2007.
• Men and women over the age of 16 years.
• Each country stages national trials that involve hundreds of homeless people training for a period of time sufficient for them to make changes to their lives.
• It is estimated that 25,000 people benefit from pre-tournament training and trials.
• The goal is to reach 100,000 players per year in 2010.

Calle Republic has created a shirt to help celebrate and support the HWC.  Available through SoccerPro, the revenue will be used to support the organization.