Since the first Homeless World Cup took place in 2003 between 18 nations, the competition has gained momentum. Now in its seventh edition, this year's cup brings together 500 players from 48 nations from all five continents to the city of Milan from 6-13 September.
Mel Young, founder and president of the cup, uses football to encourage homeless people to grab a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to represent their countries and to change their own lives forever and to change the mind of the government, media and the key influencers to create a solution to the homeless around the world".
According to the organisers, the competition has engaged over 100,000 players and triggered grass roots football programmes in over 70 nations since 2003.
Over 70% of players are said to experience a significant life change and go on to find a home, come off drugs and alcohol, get into education, jobs, training and repair relationships with friends and family. 94% claim to have received renewed motivation for life.
Wilfried Lemke, special adviser to the United Nations secretary-general on sport for development and peace, refers to the initiative as "an extraordinary example of the application of sport as a tool for community development," sparking local grassroots projects for people who are excluded from society.
To participate, players must be homeless, have been homeless at some point in the two years preceding the tournament, make their main living as street paper vendors, be asylum seekers or currently in drug or alcohol rehabilitation.
The event takes place over a period of seven days in a special stadium built on the street. The teams can be all male, all female or mixed, with a maximum of four players per team on the field. The matches are short: two halves of seven minutes with a one minute break in between.
Last year, the event included the first Women's Cup in the tournament's history.
The competition is supported by UEFA, Nike, the Vodafone Foundation, Global Ambassador Eric Cantona and international footballers Didier Drogba and Rio Ferdinand.
