People experiencing homelessness playing soccer? Wouldn’t it be better to find them jobs and housing?
Actually, all of that can be done at the same time — and that was precisely the vision of the Homeless World Cup’s founders, Mel Young and Harald Schmied.
Mel Young and Harald Schmied – Image from Facebook
Mel Young and Harald Schmied – Image from Instagram
The idea emerged after a 2001 conference on the situation of homeless people, where Young and Schmied planned to use football as a transformative tool for those without housing or shelter on a global scale. They were also inspired by the success of the 2001 street football tournament held in Austria.
Thus, the ambitious project came to life in 2003, when the city of Graz, in Austria, hosted the first edition of the tournament, organized by the newly established Homeless World Cup Foundation. Eighteen teams participated. Since then, the event has experienced exponential growth, becoming a unique movement that uses sport as a vehicle for human development. Currently, 74 countries show interest in participating and do so if they can gather the required players. The competition is held annually.
Norway vs Chile mens
“My beauty salon is called ‘Thalía’ because, to me, Thalía is WOW—she’s everything,” says Jessica Hernández, sitting on a couch inside her business located in Cuautitlán, State of Mexico. She’s wearing the volleyball team uniform of Jade, the team she has belonged to for 18 years, now made up of women between the ages of […]
The Mexican press reports numerous cases of “social cleansing” of homeless people in recent years. With these words, they refer to practices aimed at removing those who live in public spaces. The methods used range from harassing them to move from one place to another where they won’t “bother,” to forced relocation to state-run shelters, […]
In the company of the anthropologist Fabrizio Pistillo, the advocates created a dictionary in which they established what various terms commonly used in social policy instruments directed at socially excluded people mean to them. These concepts are often discussed in academic circles, but with this exercise, we open up the space to understand what those […]
Magic took shape in every corner of Doméstico MX with a new edition of the Mercadillo Mágico—a space that brought together art, design, creativity, and community in an atmosphere full of color, music, and lots of good vibes. Credits: @Pao.galdot Among the dozens of stalls featuring illustrations, books, plants, natural potions, unique garments, and treats […]
Foro 2025 became a living space of reflection, archiving, resistance, and community thanks to the Visual Memory Fair—a gathering organized by FotoObservatorioMX, Museo Soumaya, and Hydra—that left our minds and hearts full of meaningful images. Over two intense days, the forum was filled with talks, panel discussions, screenings, exhibitions, publications, zines, books, photography, art, and […]
The beating heart of transfeminist resistance found its gathering place at Café Xiu, right across from the Transfeminist Art Museum, where an afternoon full of art, community, and pride came to life. Amid warm coffees, honest conversations, and art hanging on the walls, valedora Erika showed up with full energy and spirit, bringing along valedora […]
