New women’s Homeless World Cup trophy revealed in Seoul
|Image: Anita Milas
Womens’ captains come together as new FIFA designed trophy shows togetherness of the Seoul 2024 tournament
· FIFA designs and delivers new Open Rose trophy for 2024 Homeless World Cup women’s tournament final in Seoul, Korea Republic
· Unique design based on input from Homeless World Cup members, coaches, former players and volunteers
· Trophy will be presented to the captain of either Romania or Mexico after Saturday’s final at Hanyang University
The competition on the pitch in day six of the Seoul 2024 Homeless World Cup might have been fierce and fair, but togetherness was the day’s key theme as new partners FIFA unveiled a brand-new women’s trophy.
The trophy – Open Rose – is a unique design with upward flowing gold struts representing the leaves of a flower opening up, elevating a silver globe.
Collaboration is key at the Homeless World Cup and a brief for the new trophy was formed by a Women’s Steering Group.
Global Member Countries, including reigning champions Mexico, Street Soccer USA’s Lisa Wrightsman, 2023 hosts Tiffany Fraser and Cassandra Pye, board member Kate McCheyne, staff member Zoe Hopkins, long-term Australian volunteers - photographer Anita Milas and writer Fiona Crawford - plus former Zambian player Beautypalo Mulenga all shared inspiration and input.
The first people to get their eyes on the new silverware were the captains of the sixteen women’s teams.
Come Saturday, just one team will get their hands on the new trophy. That’s the nature of a football tournament. But it was another captain who talked the team leaders through the power and potential that could be unlocked by competing for that chance, Homeless World Cup Champion Honey Thaljieh presented the captains with the new trophy.
“This is such a powerful moment,” said Honey Thaljieh, FIFA Public Relations Manager, who handed over the new trophy. “This new, modern Homeless World Cup women’s trophy designed by FIFA carries a message on the power of sport in unlocking our potential as human beings. The 16 Homeless World Cup captains are living that dream right now. It's truly special to be here with them today and I hope it inspires them to a new tomorrow.”
“This trophy is celebrating out loud and it’s also acknowledging the women and the stories. And the field of this tournament, the pitches, is where they get to be warriors openly – they don’t have to be quiet anymore,” explained United States team coach Lisa Wrightsman, who played in the tournament herself in 2010 and provided input on the trophy design. “This is where you are going to see them give all of their effort, demonstrate their character, and then be awarded something that a man or a woman would want to win, and that’s extraordinary.”
It’s togetherness - the Homeless World Cup is about everyone being together - no one is different at the Homeless World Cup,” added the Homeless World Cup Foundation’s Head of Communications Matthew Williams. “We’re all the same at the Homeless World Cup and I wanted this trophy to reflect that togetherness, that it’s for everyone and the trophy, we hope, will be on display [at the final]. I want people to come and see it up close, along with the men’s trophy as well. So we’re incredibly proud to have done this.”
Image: Anita Milas
FIFA’s collaboration in providing the trophy is just part of a broader commitment to supporting the Homeless World Cup, which was founded in 2003. Both parties signed a Memorandum of Understanding in early August this year, an agreement that means while FIFA has supplied material and equipment, such as the trophy and medals, on the ground, the matches of the first Homeless World Cup to be held in Asia have also been streamed worldwide on FIFA+.
“For [the players], it’s amazing. They feel part of the bigger family, to be taken seriously, and I think it’s important FIFA’s done that, because football is not just about the professional game, though we love it, it’s about everybody else, about everybody else being included,” explained Mel Young, Co-Founder and President of the Homeless World Cup Foundation.
“So, they’re being included here, and they feel very, very proud of that fact, and the message that the FIFA President sent, which was directed to the players, they loved it, absolutely loved it, because it made them feel part of something, and the fact he was remembering in that way, with that clarity and that passion, I think it’s just really, really important,
“We’re playing football, and it’s about taking part and changing lives, and that’s what happens at the Homeless World Cup, and it’s just the power of football. So, this relationship, which is just starting, has already made a great impact.”