The 2008 Soccer World Cup

Football, or soccer depending what part of the world you originate from, has become an internationally loved sport. The 2006 World Cup was a huge media event and Euro 2004 followed in its footsteps. Euro 2008 is already shaping up to be a big deal as well. There will not be another world cup tournament until 2010, when it will be hosted in Africa.

But there is a 2008 World Cup, a very unusual one. In November of 2008, Melbourne, Australia, will host the Homeless World Cup, an international football tournament whose teams are made up of long-term unemployed or hopeless people. It will be played at Federation Square.

The game is also a little different that the soccer everyone is used to watching. It is played in an enclosed pitch 20 by 14 meters, and it is designed to look like a street. Players are allowed to ricochet the ball off the walls and it is played four against four. There is supposed to be a major international conference on the homeless in Melbourne at the same time and it is expected to help boost the economy.

Not only is the tournament designed to be fun, it is also designed to help boost the understanding of world's population when it comes to homeless people. They need to understand why these people have no place to go and no job to support them and recognize that not everyone has control over their circumstances.

Already this annual tournament has helped many people. There are training programs in Melbourne and the sacred Heart Mission in St. Kilda has been a major source of support for many homeless people. Many of them have participated in the tournament in an effort to explain their plight to others. By playing in the league, the homeless have the opportunity to excel at sports, set personal and attainable goals, develop positive relationships with their fellow team mates, and see the results of their hard work right before their eyes. It helps them build confidence, resilience, and gives them a chance to a healthier lifestyle as well as getting the assistance they need without losing their pride.

Visitors to Melbourne, Australia in November 2008 are encouraged to come to Federation Square and watch this fast paced, international soccer tournament, as well as learn how they can help the homeless in their own country and truly understand what these people are faced with on a daily basis.