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Homeless World Cup- The Championship

NikeGamechangers — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 19:44:45 GMT

Though the teams may be gone and the army barrack tents where they stayed taken down, the energy remains. Relive the grit and glory of the final match- Ukraine v Portugal. The Ukraine pulled it out in a closely-contested match, where one teams goal always seemed to meet with a counter goal from the other squad. But words can't do it justice. Check out the video to see the joy of victory and the agony of defeat unfold for yourself. And to get one last jolt of energy from lives being changed.

Homeless World Cup- Behind the Scenes

NikeGamechangers — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 20:41:40 GMT

The Homeless World Cup may be over (Ukraine took the cup over Portugal in the finals), but the fun continues. Take a look as Buddy goes behind the scenes with Malawi team to check out their digs during the tournament.

Homeless World Cup- Meet the Players

NikeGamechangers — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 20:24:52 GMT

Fierce footballers on the pitch, catch the video and check out the player profiles at www.homelessworldcup.org to get a sense of what the players of the 2009 Homeless World Cup are like off the pitch.

Homeless World Cup- A Taste of the Glory

NikeGamechangers — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 19:59:41 GMT

Fueled by the energy on the pitch, Buddy tries to get in on the action.

In other Homeless World Cup action- Nigeria, Brazil, Denmark, Kyrgyzstan and Argentina sit atop their respective groups while the other three are locked in ties. For the most up-to-date results, go to www.homelessworldcup.org

Homeless World Cup- On the Pitch

NikeGamechangers — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 23:44:29 GMT

Excitement runs high as players hit the court for the first time in the 4v4, street soccer setup. Check out the fast-paced, high-energy action.

And of course, follow the latest results at www.homelessworldcup.org

Homeless World Cup- The Parade

NikeGamechangers — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 20:11:31 GMT

Teams showed their national pride on the streets of Milan one last time before getting down to business on the pitch.

48 Nations to compete in 2009 Homeless World Cup

NikeGamechangers — Mon, 18 May 2009 06:58:58 GMT

In September 500 players from 48 nations will converge on Milan to lace up their cleats for a weeklong battle to determine the champion of the 7th Homeless World Cup

The 48 nations will represent all five continents of the globe, from Argentina to Brazil, England to Germany, Australia to Cambodia, Hong Kong to India, Ghana to Malawi. Italy, two times Homeless World Cup champions will be aiming to regain their championship glory in front of their home crowd.

A street soccer stadium built at the Arena Civic, Sempione Park, the historical venue of the very first Italian National game against France, will welcome an estimated 100,000 strong crowd during the tournament week, and the competition will be no less intense than that first game between Italy and France.

There are one billion homeless people in the world, including 50,000 homeless people in Italy. For the players, the Homeless World Cup is about more than a chance to compete against the best or the chance to be called champion. Over 70% experience a significant life change; coming off drugs and alcohol, moving into homes, jobs, education, training, repairing relationships, becoming coaches or players with semi-pro teams and social entrepreneurs. Since 2003 the Homeless World Cup has engaged over 100,000 players and has triggered football programmes in over 70 nations.

The Milan 2009 Homeless World Cup is dedicated to the memory of Candido Cannavò, renowned journalist at Gazetta dello Sport.

Right now, 9 teams need support to make it to the HWC. You can help make it happen here. Or show your support by joining the HWC Facebook group.

Get the inside scoop on Milan 2009 here.
And if you can't wait until September for your street soccer fix, watch highlights from last year's HWC in Australia.