Day 5: From fjords to forests, players pitch up for goals and growth in Oslo
Wednesday 27 August 2025
After four days of glorious sunshine, the clouds opened over Oslo today.
The action of the past four days has been fast, fierce and fair- but the added zip of the rainwater turned the tempo up to eleven on day five of this year’s Homeless World Cup.
Can they do it on a rainy Wednesday in Norway? Ireland and England certainly can if today’s enthralling encounter was anything to go by. The crowd were treated to a stream of constant commentary from the Irish coach- ‘dictate, dictate’- and his team listened for large portions, controlling the ball despite being 2-0 down, eventually drawing level against last year’s finalists in a game which stayed stuck at three apiece before two late England goals sealed the points.
Wednesday is traditionally a shorter day’s play at the Homeless World Cup, giving the 500 players from around the world the opportunity to rest, relax and explore Oslo in the late afternoon. Whether on a boat trip through the fjords on a boat helmed by legendary sailor Jan Steven Johannessen, or a trip into surrounding forests, local organisers Salvation Army Norway have provided a range of activities for athletes.
Back to the action in the men’s competition, teams in Groups A to D have a chance to play for the ultimate trophy on Saturday, and Northern Ireland, Chile, Scotland, Bulgaria, Poland, Brazil, Egypt, South Africa, Portugal, Lithuania and Mexico, joined England in picking up wins in their quest for the cup.
Teams in Groups E to H have filtered through to the secondary trophies and Greece, Canada, Germany, Switzerland, Japan, Hong Kong, Austria and Argentina added wins to the board on day five.
In the women’s competitions, winners in the top tier groups A and B included Egypt, Mexico, Ivory Coast, Uganda, Kenya and Romania, while in the secondary groups C and D, USA, Sweden, Northern Ireland, Switzerland and Tanzania picked up three points.
Words: Dan Tyte | Photos by John Anderson