From Rio to Cape Town: the best memories of 20 Homeless World Cups
Oslo 2025 is the 20th Homeless World Cup to take place. From Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro to the park next to the Eiffel Tower, the event has been hosted in some of the world’s most iconic locations. To mark the 20th anniversary, we asked some of the people who have attended the event since the early days to recall their most special memories.
Mel Young, co-founder:
While there are a few coaches and team managers who went to almost all editions, there is only one person who was involved in all twenty of them: Homeless World Cup co-founder Mel Young.
“When my good friend Harald Schmied and I dreamt up the idea of the first Homeless World Cup, we thought we needed to host it in a city centre so that people would come to watch. But people did come – and they kept coming back.” The tournament has grown in size, player numbers and professionalism over the years, but that very first one will always be special to Mel. “It is like when your first child is born, lifechanging.”
A moment Mel will never forget is when he heard a lot of noise from behind one of the stands in Graz as the tournament kicked off. “It was the Dutch team walking down in their kit, and people were applauding them, asking their autographs. They were real stars. We were changing people’s perceptions and we saw it happening right in front of our eyes. When Harald and I saw that for the first time, we knew we could create something special.”
Reflecting on the 19 events that followed that first one, he concludes all events are equally dear to him. “Picking a favourite is like asking me to choose between one of my children – impossible!”
“We have all the statistics now and analysis about the impact we create. But if you ask me what is going on here every year, I would say: it is love. Love from the audience to players, love from players to players, to coaches, referees and volunteers. Love from people to people.”
Gilbert Prilasnig, team Austria coach:
Former Austrian international Gilbert Prilasnig holds a special record: after attending the first event in his home town in Graz as a spectator, he has been the coach of the Austrian team for 19 Homeless World Cups.
It was Homeless World Cup co-founder and fellow Austrian Harald Schmied who asked him to coach the team since Gothenburg 2004. Over two decades on, he is still here.
He has good memories of each and every event, though that very first one in Graz will always be special, because “it spread from here to all over the world”.
Gilbert’s ongoing dedication to team Austria has even earned him a human rights award. “So I can really never leave anymore now”, he jokes.
Iain McGill, referee:
“Edinburgh 2005 was special because it was my first tournament, it was the start of my refereeing journey, and it was taking place in my home town. After that, we saw it grow every year. By the time we got to Melbourne, it was huge. So many people came down.”
“I always prefer when we’re in a big, busy city centre. That’s when we really bring it to the public. When people who never heard of the event stop by on their lunch breaks and start cheering.”
Iain’s favourite part of every event is seeing former players return as trainers, coaches or referees. “Everyone loves to hear a story of a player signing for a professional football club. But really, to see players move on in their lives is always great. When the tournament came back to Scotland for the 2016 Glasgow edition, we had former players driving buses, becoming builders, earning money and building their lives back up.”
The refereeing squad itself has also seen former players come on board, to volunteer alongside long-standing members of the crew. None though have lasted as long as Iain, who has not missed one Homeless World Cup since that first one in his home town in 2005.
How has he managed to fit this tournament into his life year after year? He laughs as he sums up his answer: “No wife, no kids, no boss and no health issues!”
Michel van Oudheusden, referee:
“I’m going to say Rio 2010! That was my first one as a referee. With some referee friends, we had attended before as spectators in 2009 in Milan, and it was a dream come true to be picked for the 2010 squad. I had just started a new job, and I had to go tell my boss that I needed two weeks off to go to Brazil. My company were really supportive, and 15 years later, they still are.”
While Michel looks back on all tournaments fondly, the beach of Copacabana added a special touch for him. “The sand and the ocean really added to it, with players going for a sea swim after matches to cool down.”
He’s quick to mention other memories too, from the streets of Santiago to the Mexican Zocalo square. “They all have their charm, because it is the Homeless World Cup!”
BONUS QUIZ: Can you name all 20 Homeless World Cup locations?
Cheat sheet: Graz (2003), Gothenburg (2004), Edinburgh (2005), Cape Town (2006), Copenhagen (2007), Melbourne (2008), Milan (2009), Rio de Janeiro (2010), Paris (2011), Mexico City (2012), Poznan (2013), Santiago (2014), Amsterdam (2015), Glasgow (2016), Oslo (2017), Mexico City (2018), Cardiff (2019), Sacramento (2023), Seoul (2024), Oslo (2025.
Written By Danielle Batist, Photos By Donnie Nicholson & John Anderson