They were discussing how best homeless street paper sellers could benefit from the international dimension of their work and agreed that football was an international language that everybody understood, so they decided to organise a football tournament. The first Homeless World Cup took place in Graz, Austria, in April 2003, and it was such a phenomenal success that the organisers agreed to make the event annual. The second World Cup was held in Gothenburg in July 2004, the third one is due to be held in New York City in July 2005 and the 2006 World Cup is to be held in Cape Town. This remarkable book documents the entire project, focusing on the glorious atmosphere in Graz, the philosophy behind the tournament, the psychological team-building, the impact of poverty worldwide and, most importantly, the players themselves, who were transformed from society's outcasts into heroes. Some players have even signed up to professional football clubs now.
Professional clubs like Real Madrid and Manchester United are becoming involved and the world's governing football authorities, as well as the United Nations, are now offering support to develop street soccer as a tool to tackle homelessness and exclusion.