Carlos’s life changing curiosity
|We spoke to Carlos after a training session in Oslo with Fresesarmeen’s Gatefotbal team.
When Carlos Eduardo Castro, the Colombian born striker who came to Norway as a baby, said he’s just “always been curious”, a warning English proverb about the risk of curiosity came to mind – ‘curiosity killed the cat’.
As Carlos spoke about his life, speaking about nights at “crazy parties”, taking narcotics and then ultimately two spells in jail after becoming caught up in criminality, it was clear his curious nature, like the cat, led him down some difficult and unpredictable paths.
However, now his curiosity isn’t leading him to crazy parties and narcotics but is being used on the football pitch and in his business, customising clothes and shoes.
Since 2014 he’s been a regular player with the Fresesarmeen’s Gatefotbal team in Oslo. It quickly became a constant in his life – attending the training sessions and playing in the weekly matches. Even when his curiosity got the better of him and once again led him astray, he would always come back.
In 2025 it’s been more than four years since he was in prison for the second time, and more than two and half years since he touched any narcotics.
“I have always been a very curious person, I feel I have good standards but sometimes I can go a little bit crazy, so all this training, it keeps me tranquilo you know? I’m completely clean and now I’m focusing on being healthy and playing football and I’m loving it.”
Now he’s rediscovered his childhood passion for football and his focus is staying fit as well as finding any opportunity to be creative.
You can see Carlos’s imagination and love of art from the minute you look at him, from his customised clothes to his tattoos which turn his body into a human canvas. Every inch is painted with pictures that tell the stories of his life – from his love and pride for his home country, to his friends and family, the people he loves and people he’s lost.
|‘La vida esta en mis manos’ a daily reminder for Carlos that ‘life is in his hands’.
On his hands he has the message ‘la vida esta en mis manos’ – life is in my hands – which he says acts as a reminder that he’s responsible for everything he does – both the good and the bad.
“It’s a very mental thing [coming out of addiction and crime] – I watched a lot of motivational movies and really building myself into being a strong person. Not falling back into my old ways. Of course, you take everyday step by step.”
Coming back to football for Carlos was a return to life before it all went “crazy”. Growing up he played football until he was 18. However, when he broke his leg, he was forced to stop and found new friends, which led him to a new lifestyle and years of drug use. He hadn’t set foot on a football pitch since before his accident until he joined Gatesfotbal when he was 25.
It’s given him a new focus too. He’s now set up his own personal training company alongside selling clothes and shoes that he customises.
He’s hopeful that in August, he might be one of the players chosen for the Norwegian squad at the Oslo 2025 Homeless World Cup.
|The Homeless World Cup will return to Oslo in August 2025. The tournament was held in the Norwegian capital in 2017. Image: Daniel Lipinski
“I love that the Homeless World Cup is coming to Oslo. To show the world, to show Norwegian people what this is about and how many people football can help and how many people who have been on the wrong side in their life that they can come back, and just to prove that whatever mistakes in your life, you can always make changes, you can always come back and find somebody who will take you in and not be judgemental.”
“It would mean a lot to me, to be part of it. Playing with the Norwegian flag on my chest to give back and hopefully to win. I will be there anyway even if I can’t be part of the team.”
Carlos’s dream is to see every country in the world and to meet people from different cultures, however this August, Carlos won’t need to go anywhere.
Players from all over the world will be coming to Oslo and there’s no doubt that Carlos will be at the centre of the party, whether it’s on the pitch or dancing on the side lines. Curiosity in this case, won’t kill the cat – it will be the making of him.
Norway is one of 70 Homeless World Cup member countries; Norway is represented by Frelsesarmeen (The Salvation Army). Frelsesarmeen are co-hosting the 20th edition of the Homeless World Cup which will return to Oslo from 23rd – 30th August 2025. The Homeless World Cup also took place in Oslo in 2017.