A Photo Reportage!

From 21 to 28 September 2024, the capital of South Korea, Seoul City is hosting the 19th Homeless World Cup 2024 at Hanyang University. It is bringing 500 men and women players from 64 teams representing 49 nations, which is said to be the first tournament in Asia.

Some of the players from the 64 teams…

The opening ceremony was adorned by a parade, and welcoming, and congratulatory speeches. Mel Young, President of the Homeless World Cup, and co-founder officially declare the opening of the tournament.

Here are more photos of this inspiring event…

On the opening day, the host nation, the South Korean men’s team beats Germany 4-0.

The Homeless World Cup Foundation is a social organization registered as a charity in Scotland, with a vision of a world without homelessness and its 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.

According to the organization’s website; The first Homeless World Cup took place in 2003 in Graz, Austria, and has been changing lives with football ever since.

The Homeless World Cup brings together member countries from around the world, each representing their respective nation with passion and pride.

The annual tournament is a celebration of the amazing work being done by grassroots organizations in member countries worldwide. It is also an aspirational goal for individuals seeking a better future and a powerful way to challenge how people think about homelessness.

It’s said that as many as 1.6 billion people lacked adequate housing (Habitat, 2015). In 2021, the World Economic Forum reported that 150 million people were homeless worldwide. Getting an accurate picture of global homelessness is extremely challenging. Definitions of homelessness vary from country to country.

For further information visit: homelessworldcup.org

Photos taken by Bereket Alemayehu/ 21 Sep.