Seventy thousand homeless people in Los Angeles; another 36,000 in San Francisco; more than 10,000 in San Diego; 6,000 in San Jose; 3,500 in Oakland... With a total of 160,000 men and women (one-third of the total in the United States) sleeping rough, in cars, trailers, churches, assisted living and rehabilitation centers, the state of California is a leading undisputed global in that embarrassing category. That is why it makes sense that this week it will host the soccer world championship for the homeless.
Some reach this situation due to mental or health problems, or due to simple bad luck, because of losing their job or an accident in a country where tens of millions lack health insurance, and an operation can take away their entire life savings, and leave one pawned up to the eyebrows. How to fix the problem is a topic of intense political debate. Of the annual budget of the city of Los Angeles, a tenth part (more than a billion euros) is dedicated to providing housing for the homeless, which however is increasing. Skid Row, downtown, has the highest concentration in the entire country, 15,000 individuals with their belongings in grocery carts, endless rows of tents, a city unto itself with its own zip code, God forsaken .
The homeless are on the beaches of Venice, on the shoulders of highways, on and under bridges, at bus stops, parks, parking lots... Some are friendly, others are more threatening. Going on the Los Angeles subway is an adventure that requires a certain courage, because the carriages are a true circus: homeless people lying on the ground or sleeping on the seats, people with the radio at full volume or doing gymnastics in the rings designed for that the passengers protect themselves from the swings.
The Homeless World is intended to boost your self-esteem and confidence. It is about helping them rebuild their lives, facilitating contacts to get a job. Of a total of one hundred thousand players integrated into programs of this type throughout the world, five hundred compete in the Sacramento championship divided into forty teams and two tournaments, one for women and the other for men and mixed teams. The games are four against four and two times of fifteen minutes, in fields the size of a tennis court. To participate, you must have been homeless, in a refugee or asylum center, or rehabilitation center, or have been a newspaper vendor at some point in the last two years, although the criteria for what constitutes homelessness vary according to the countries. The ability with the ball also counts, but it is the least of it.
The initiative came from a philanthropist from Edinburgh, and editions of the tournament have been held in Mexico City, Copenhagen, Paris and Cape Town. It is an annual occasion, if an organizer is found, but it was suspended due to the pandemic and had not been held since 2019.
The week that the World Cup for the homeless lasts - it will end on Saturday - is an authentic emotional roller coaster for the footballers, in which the objective is for them to feel sheltered in an environment of solidarity, establish relationships, get out of the vicious circle of poverty in who have fallen and change their lives for the better. In addition to matches, they give talks and symposiums. The matches are totally free.
There are 150 million homeless people in the world. In the United States, almost 600,000, with the highest number per capita in New York, followed by Hawaii and California. But where there is football there is at least a glimmer of hope.
