FROM: SACRAMENTO STATE
Sacramento’s University
6000 J St., Sacramento CA 95819
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Dec. 19, 2022
CONTACT: Matthew Williams, matthew@homelessworldcup.org, +44 (0)7789 722 561; Anita Fitzhugh, fitzhugh@csus.edu, (916) 278-2806
Sacramento State and Street Soccer USA to host 18th Homeless World Cup, featuring street soccer teams from across the globe
WHAT: The Homeless World Cup (HWC) street soccer tournament, in its 20th anniversary year after a three-year pandemic interruption, will be played at Sacramento State July 8-15, 2023.
The event will be in a U.S. city – and on a college campus – for the first time. Cardiff, Wales, was the host city the last time the tournament was held, in 2019. Previous tournaments have been in Europe, Australia, South America, and Africa. The event traditionally draws thousands of spectators.
The tournament, first played in 2003 in Graz, Austria, is the landmark street soccer event presented by Homeless World Cup Foundation, an umbrella organization for a network of charities that conduct year-round street soccer programs for men, women and children experiencing homelessness.
Sacramento State President Robert S. Nelsen said the University’s role as tournament host is another example of its commitment to “building deep and meaningful connections in our community and beyond.”
“I am proud that we will host the Homeless World Cup in 2023, and I look forward to welcoming athletes from around the world to the Sacramento State campus,” Nelsen said. “This event will reimagine the conversations surrounding the global issue of homelessness while transforming the lives of the athletes as well as the spectators.”
Up to 64 HWC partners from around the world will participate, featuring hundreds of players who are experiencing homelessness. Matches will be played on three street soccer fields set up in Hornet Stadium. The playing areas are smaller than traditional soccer fields and enclosed, leading to fast-paced, continuous action.
University residence halls will provide housing for players during the competition.
Street Soccer USA, a national nonprofit working in more than a dozen US cities, is HWC’s American partner and features a robust program in Sacramento led by Sac State alumnae Tiffany Fraser and Lisa Wrightsman.
“These players are people deserving of respect,” Wrightsman said. “They’re not out there playing for money or cars. They are people who have very little in their lives, and they’re working hard, and smiling, and lifting one another up. I hope that people watching them are able to appreciate that.”
Lawrence Cann, Co-founder and President, Street Soccer USA said hosting the Homeless World Cup for the first time in the United States is a signal of Street Soccer USA’s ambition to drive social impact through soccer at scale and from the bottom up.
“Be prepared to feel the true power of teamwork and community before, during, and after this one-of-a-kind event. The Homeless World Cup places those across the world who are most in need at the very center of our attention and showcases not their challenges, but their abilities and humanity. We are grateful to the leadership of Sacramento State University and proud to partner with them to bring this event and its legacy to the California capital.”
Mel Young, Homeless World Cup president and co-founder, said the tournament shows how sport can change lives while illustrating HWC partners’ commitment to the work of ending homelessness.
“Everyone at the Homeless World Cup, our global Member Countries and our loyal supporters are delighted that Sacramento State and the city of Sacramento will be our host in 2023.”
WHEN: July 8-15, 2023.
WHERE: Hornet Stadium, Sacramento State, 6000 J Street, Sacramento, California.
INTERVIEW AVAILABILITY: Mel Young, Homeless World Cup Foundation; Robert S. Nelsen, president, Sacramento State; Lisa Wrightsman, Street Soccer USA (Sacramento); Lawrence Cann, Street Soccer USA (national).
RELATED STORY: https://www.csus.edu/news/newsroom/stories/2022/12/homeless-world-cup.html
RELATED VIDEO:
2019 Cardiff Homeless World Cup
Homeless World Cup YouTube Channel
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The Homeless World Cup is an annual, world-class, international football tournament. Every year, teams of men and women who are homeless or have experienced homelessness get the chance to represent their country during the weeklong street soccer competition.
Street Soccer USA is a national 501c3 nonprofit dedicated to fighting poverty and strengthening community through soccer in more than a dozen U.S. cities. Street Soccer USA holds Cups, builds Street Soccer Parks, and develops programs in the least served neighborhoods across the country, increasing access to the world’s most popular game and using soccer as a tool for youth and community development.