Homeless World Cup
A Different Soccer Cup

The Homeless World Cup 2004 of the International Network of Street Papers (INSP)

Gothenburg, Sweden

July 25, 2004 - August1, 2004

This year's "Homeless World Cup" will take place at the T Götaplatsen, in the city centr e of Gothenburg.

Twenty nine teams(nine more than the previous year)  of men and women from Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Cameroon, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Namibia, Netherlands, Nigeria, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Scotland, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, USA and Wales will compete for the first prize.

The opening ceremony on July 25, 2004 at 13.30hrs will start with the parade of the teams followed by the official ceremony and the drawing of the lots. Then it's kick-off time as every team plays its first match.

Played in the streets, the games are watched by spectators who are separated from the players only by the sidelines.  Each team consists of four players and a goalie.  Simple street soccer rules apply!

In addition, The United Nations are officially supporting the Tournamnet. Adolf Ogi, Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Sport for Developement and Peace, says that "the Homeless World Cup offers a new frame for the empowerment of young adults on the edge of society. We can observe the integrative potential of sport especially in its people-connecting effect, sport helps to overcome political, social and cultural borders."

(The global players are supported by

the International Network of Street Papers (INSP). The organization aims to extend the cultural aspect of soccer to include re-integrating the homeless. There is hardly greater scope for overcoming social exclusion than through sport.  For many, just the tough training schedule is the first step to recovery.