Destination Seoul for the 2024 Homeless World Cup
South Korea at the Sacramento 2023 Homeless World Cup.
The Homeless World Cup Foundation and The Big Issue Korea today announced that the 2024 Homeless World Cup will take place in Seoul, the first time the Homeless World Cup has been held in Asia since the tournament was introduced in 2003.
The Seoul 2024 Homeless World Cup, set to take place in October next year across 8-days in South Korea’s capital city, marks a significant milestone in the Homeless World Cup’s 20-year history and promises to be a once in a lifetime moment for everyone involved.
The location and dates of the tournament will be announced early in 2024 and this exciting announcement will be welcomed by nearly 70 Homeless World Cup Member Countries across the globe.
The Homeless World Cup is a world class sporting spectacle which has the power to change the lives of participants and shape attitudes towards the global issue of homelessness, using the universal language of football.
Advanced discussions are also in place for the 2025 and 2026 Homeless World Cups after the tournament made an emphatic return in July, the 2023 Sacramento Homeless World Cup, held in California’s state capitol was the first time the event had visited the US.
Mel Young, HWCF President and co-founder, said: “We are absolutely delighted to be able to confirm our 2024 Homeless Would Cup will be held in Seoul, Korea and thrilled to be visiting Asia for the first time since the tournament started in 2003. After a highly successful tournament this year in California, we can’t wait to reconnect our global Member Countries and Homeless World Cup family again, this time in Seoul for the 19th edition of the tournament.
“Seoul is the world’s 16th largest capital city and Korea is a wonderful place to visit with a huge football fan base and culture. There has been significant interest for some time from our partner The Big Issue Korea to host the Homeless World Cup, so we are pleased to confirm that the Seoul, will be hosting next year’s tournament.
“Over the years we have proved that using the power of football can change lives and we remain committed to tackling and ending global homelessness. We are also engaged with several cities looking to host future editions of the Homeless World Cup which is incredibly positive and further cements the tournament as a key part of the global sporting calendar.”
Sooryul Kim, The Big Issue Korea President, said: “We are thrilled from the bottom of our hearts to share in the passion and delight of homeless players around the world. We aim to raise awareness in Korean society about homelessness through the Homeless World Cup. The Korean society often perceive homelessness narrowly in terms of policy and still view housing primarily as an investment product rather than a basic right. By hosting the Homeless World Cup—an international festival—we hope to draw citizens’ attention to guarantee housing rights and lay the socially supporting foundation for policy changes.”
There is further excitement for the Homeless World Cup in 2024, with the release of the eagerly anticipated film The Beautiful Game. Starring Bill Nighy & Micheal Ward, the film follows a team of English homeless footballers, led by their coach Mal (Bill Nighy), who travel from London to Rome to compete in The Homeless World Cup. At the last minute they decide to bring with them a talented striker Vinny (Micheal Ward), but he must confront his own issues and once-promising past, in order to help the team win the Homeless World Cup and move on with his own life. The film will be released globally on Netflix in Spring 2024
An estimated 100m people are homeless worldwide. As many as 1 billion people lack adequate housing. The characteristics and causes of homelessness around the world are complex and varied. Homeless people experience social exclusion and stigmatisation, economic hardship and poverty, and physical and mental health problems.
The Homeless World Cup exists to help end this crisis in all its forms.
A WORLD WITHOUT HOMELESSNESS. THAT’S THE GOAL.
The Big Issue Korea exists to dismantle poverty by creating opportunity, We do so through self-help, social trading and business solutions. The Big Issue Korea began in 2010 with the publication of a magazine called "The Big Issue." We have established a network with the United Kingdom, where the Big Issue originated, as well as the Big Issue in Australia, the Republic of South Africa, Japan, Taiwan, and the International Network of Street Papers (INSP). We have been providing services and various networking to support people experiencing homelessness, helping them overcome financial difficulties so they can integrate into Korean society. The Big Issue Korea was the official organizer of the Korean team, which won the Best Newcomer Team award at the Homeless World Cup 2010 in Rio de Janeiro. Afterwards, their story was adapted into a film titled "Dream (2023)."