The Homeless World Cup is an annual, international street soccer tournament, uniting teams of people who are homeless and excluded to take a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to represent their country and change their lives forever. It has inspired and continues to support soccer projects around the world working with homeless and marginalised people.

The first Homeless World Cup was in Graz, Austria in 2003. Since then Gothenburg, Edinburgh, Cape Town and Copenhagen have played host to the tournament. Having participated with our Street Socceroos since the 2005 tournament in Edinburgh, The Big Issue put in a successful bid to host the 2008 Homeless World Cup in Melbourne.

In 2008, running from december 1st to 7th, Melbourne will host the sixth Homeless Word Cup and will welcome teams from over 50 nations worldwide.

Players will come together in the spirit of sport and community to represent their countries, entertain the crowds and demonstrate the power of sport as a means of social inclusion.

Make sure you come to this fantastic free community event!

Adopt A Team
Get your school involved with the Melbourne 2008 Homeless World Cup and learn about another culture.

The Adopt a Team program is an opportunity to enrich the learning of thousands of Australian school students by linking them to the Melbourne 2008 Homeless World Cup and making it possible for some disadvantaged nations to participate.

Within a structure provided by the Education Foundation Australia, and supported by the Homeless World Cup, school communities will be invited to adopt a team participating in the Homeless World Cup.

For more details visit The Big Issue website.