Netflix releases first trailer for Homeless World Cup-inspired football film The Beautiful Game

It’s kickoff time: Netflix has released the trailer for a football drama 'The Beautiful Game’, inspired by the Homeless World Cup which is released on Netflix from 29 March.

Mal (Bill Nighy, Living, About Time) is the manager of England’s homeless football team, taking his players to Italy’s capital, Rome, with the hope of being crowned champions of the Homeless World Cup, a real global street-soccer tournament. 

At the last minute he decides to bring with them a talented striker Vinny (Micheal Ward, Empire of Light, The Book of Clarence), who could give them a real chance at winning, but only if he’s ready to let go of his past and become part of the team. 

The Beautiful Game is a film of second chances - where homeless teams from around the world find that all roads lead to Rome, and everything’s to play for.

Since the first tournament in Graz, Austria in 2003, the Homeless World Cup has been held in major cities across the world, under the lights of the Eiffel Tower to the beaches of Rio with the 19th edition of the tournament taking place in Seoul, South Korea, this September.

The tournament uses the power of sport and football to support and inspire people who have experienced homelessness to change their own lives and over the past 20 years, more than 1.2m people have been supported and become part of the Homeless World Cup community.  

Filming out in Rome also included teams and players from the Homeless World Cup’s global network of Member Countries who spent time in the Italian capital and played alongside the actors in specially designed Homeless World Cup inspired pitches and surroundings.

The Beautiful Game is written by Frank Cottrell-Boyce (24 Hour Party People) and directed by Thea Sharrock (Wicked Little Letters) and produced by Blueprint Pictures’ Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin, Ben Knight and Anita Overland.

Thea Sharrock, who directed the Beautiful Game, said: “The Beautiful Game is more than a film. It’s a story about the importance of second chances using the universal language of football to make a real difference in people’s lives across the globe.

“I was fortunate to spend some time with the Homeless World Cup Foundation at their tournament in Sacramento last year, meeting many inspiring players, managers, and volunteers, and seeing first-hand the powerful impact being involved in such a wonderful and unique experience can have on those who need it the most. Our film brings to life the mission behind Homeless World Cup, I can’t wait for it to be released on Netflix on 29th March.”

Homeless World Cup Founder and President, Mel Young, said: “The name of this film sums up what we strive for at the Homeless World Cup: the power football has to change lives and perceptions, to inspire hope into people who have experienced so much suffering in their lives, I don't think there’s anything more beautiful. 

“The Homeless World Cup is our contribution to tackling the homeless problem across the globe but there is so much more to do. We have proved just how powerful football can be when it is applied to a social problem, and we will keep striving to do more. “

 Watch the trailer below ⬇️