The Homeless World Cup is a football tournament with purpose. Our year-round work culminates in a world class event which has the power to transform the lives of participants and shape attitudes towards Homelessness.

 

Our Vision is for a world without homelessness.

Our Mission is to use football to support and inspire people who are homeless to change their own lives; and to change perceptions and attitudes towards people who are experiencing homelessness.

We operate a Global Network, bringing together 70 grassroots organisations that are using football to tackle homelessness and social isolation.

We provide a focus for – and a celebration of – their year-round activity with the Homeless World Cup, our landmark international street football tournament. We also support their day-to-day work by building international connections, facilitating skill sharing and helping our members to develop.

 

Our Values

Our Values, outlined in our Homeless World Cup Charter, provide the foundation for our work at The Homeless World Cup, and all our Member Countries, teams and players of our Global Network must adhere to them:


  • We know that homelessness manifests itself differently from country to country. There is no international definition for homelessness. Each country has a different definition which we respect. Some countries deny that they have any homelessness and we will campaign for them to recognise the problem.


  • As an international language, football has the power to change lives. We use it as a tool to engage homeless and socially excluded people to participate in locally based development programmes, which all link to the wider international HWCF Network and the global movement.


  • We believe in the concept of a hand up rather than a handout. Personal development programmes that ensure homeless people are at the centre of their own progress fosters a greater degree of self-determination to control one’s own life.


  • We believe safeguarding must be prioritised to ensure participants are protected from harm, including all forms of exploitation, abuse and harassment.


  • Both local partner and HWCF staff and volunteers are an integral part of the Network. We respect and value their support in every aspect of our work.


  • We believe in fair play and designing competitions to be inclusive as well as competitive. We respect the rules of the game, the people who administer them and the players who participate.


  • We believe strongly in diversity and equality and operate a non-exclusive and non- discriminatory programme that actively encourages individuals, regardless of sex, age, race, religion, disability and sexual orientation.


  • Homelessness is different from ‘houselessness’. We believe in creating a sense of belonging wherever people are.


  • We believe in creating an identity for the players through all our work. Within the Network, we create a dynamic space where players can share experiences with others from around the world and be proud to be part of a global constructive movement.


  • We take environmental considerations seriously and work continuously to minimise our operational impact on the environment.

The Homeless World Cup Foundation is committed to recognising the human rights outlined in the International Bill of Human Rights and also the goals of the Paris Climate Change agreement, and specifically the outline of the United Nations Global Climate Action.

The Homeless World Cup Foundation is a charity registered in Scotland. Our Charity Number is SCO37091.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and improve the lives and prospects of everyone, everywhere. Seventeen (17) Goals were adopted by all UN Member States in 2015, as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development which set out a 15-year plan to achieve the Goals.

With just under ten years left to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, world leaders at the SDG Summit in September 2019 called for a Decade of Action.

The Homeless World Cup Foundation has identified four of the SDGs which we and our Member Countries across the globe contribute to.

In October 2022, the Homeless World Cup joined the  UN’s “Football For the Goals” initiative

The Homeless World Cup is among more than 50 football organisations who have joined the Football for the Goals initiative.

Football for the Goals is run by the United Nations and brings together international organisations who are using football to tackle and raise awareness of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

At the Homeless World Cup, we believe in the importance of the SDGs and see sport as a key tool in bringing people together to create truly meaningful change.

Also, as a global event, we will continue to commit to being as sustainable as possible in our approaches.

 

Change through football

Being homeless can be incredibly isolating, making people feel removed from society and alone. Joining a football team can be a small but hugely significant step in helping an individual to become part of a community.

When a person who is homeless gets involved in football, they build relationships; people go from being individuals, to players in a team. They have a responsibility to attend training sessions and games, to be on time, and to be prepared to participate. They feel that they are part of something larger than themselves, and part of a community that celebrates who they are, rather than defining them by what they are not.

At the Homeless World Cup, we see football as a tool which promotes fair play, creates an equal playing field and gives players a chance to have a positive interaction with authority. We also believe in peer learning and giving players the opportunity to develop their skills, whether that’s training as a referee or returning to the Homeless World Cup as a coach.

The sense of empowerment that comes from participating in football helps people who are homeless see that they can change their lives and the lives of those around them; and our Global Network of organisations give them the tools, skills and platform they need to do just that.

How we define homelessness

An estimated 100 million people are homeless worldwide. As many as 1 billion people lack adequate housing. The characteristics and causes of homelessness around the world are complex and varied. Homeless people experience social exclusion and stigmatisation, economic hardship and poverty, and physical and mental health problems. The Homeless World Cup exists to help end this crisis in all its forms. Everyone deserves a home – it is a fundamental human right (United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights).

In an effort to shed light on the complex challenges and scale of the problem, we have compiled global homelessness statistics in our member countries.

Homelessness can manifest itself in a number of difficult forms and has countless diverse causes – often linked to poverty. Those below are not exhaustive, but are common forms:

Anyone can become homeless, but these particular groups are often at higher risk:

  • Those on low income.

  • In poverty-stricken countries.

  • Of a minority race.

  • LGBTQI+.

  • Living with HIV/AIDS and/or disabilities.

  • Fleeing war or natural disaster.

  • Seeking asylum.

  • Recovering from addiction, trauma or abuse.

  • Having spent time in state-sponsored institutions, including prisons, mental health support centres, youth care homes and the military.


  • People can be homeless in many different ways, and it has countless diverse causes – often linked to poverty.

    There is no international definition for homelessness. Each country has a different definition which we respect. Some countries deny that they have any homelessness and we will campaign for them to recognise the problem.


  • Homelessness is not the same as Houselessness’. Someone can be homeless while still having a roof over their head.

    When we talk about ‘insecure’ accommodation it can refer to structurally unsound properties, such as slum areas which are illegally built on flood plains. However it can also be ‘insecure’ in terms of unsustainable e.g., someone who is living on someone else’s sofa.

    Defining homelessness is complicated, but getting an idea of what secure housing is can be done by answering these three questions:

    1. Will someone be able to live there long-term? (We define this as more than 24 months)

    2. Does the person living there have independence? (For example; Do they have agency over what food they eat? Or when they can come and go?)

    3. And the most fundamental one, does it feel like their home?

    You can read more about defining homelessness and the ETHOS definition of homelessness here.


  • This list is not exhaustive, but these are some of the most regularly seen examples of people living with homelessness.

    Anyone can become homeless, but these particular groups are often at higher risk:

    • Those on low income/in poverty-stricken countries

    • Of a minority race

    • Members of the LGBTQI+ community

    • People living with HIV/AIDS

    • People living with disabilities

    • Fleeing war or natural disasters

    • Seeking asylum

    • Recovering from addiction, trauma or abuse

    • Having spent time in state-sponsored institutions including: prisons, mental health support centres, youth care homes and the military.