Yoshi-Hiro Matsuda, Japan
More than a Film: This series explores the real players and management teams at the heart of The Homeless World Cup, the tournament is the inspiration for the feature film, The Beautiful Game.
The Japanese team in The Beautiful Game was played by actors, but we spoke to real life player Yoshi-Hiro Matsuda from his flat in Tokyo about his experience at the Homeless World Cup in Paris in 2011.
“I hope that by watching the film or coming to the Homeless World Cup, it will make an impact on people, however small it might be.”
Each player has their own personal hurdles to overcome to make it to the Homeless World Cup, but I think Yoshi-Hiro Matsuda might be the first who had to prove he was still alive.
Yoshi-Hiro Matsuda had been working as a day labourer on construction and demolition sites for more than a decade when his health began to decline. Matsuda left his job and went to the office for The Big Issue Japan in Osaka and became a magazine vendor. He then moved to Tokyo, where he continued to sell the magazine.
Over the years he lost contact with his family. Concerned, they reported him missing to the police. Despite their best efforts, the authorities never found him. After seven years of looking, he was pronounced officially dead. His details were removed from the system, and he was no longer registered with his family.
The first Matsuda knew about this was when he was going to apply for a passport to travel to the Homeless World Cup.
He picked up the phone to make a strange phone call, he needed to tell his sister he was still alive.
“I should have asked my family or my extended family for help earlier but I was in my thirties, and I thought I could live on my own. In hindsight I would have asked for help sooner.”
The conversation broke the silence and restarted their relationship. After she had got over the initial shock, she helped him fix his paperwork and re-register. He’d both officially and emotionally re-joined the family.
And he was ready to go to Europe for the first time. It was 2011, and his destination was Paris for the Homeless World Cup.
“The Homeless World Cup was a very big chance to start a new life.”
Matsuda was the captain of the Japanese side, but the tournament didn’t exactly go to plan.
He broke his arm during the first game. As the team’s goalkeeper this didn’t help their chances as the tournament went on.
He smiles and laughs, turning round to show “Japan” written on the back of his shirt, as he remembers the chaos of the team: “We lost all of our games, and everyone was arguing all the time. As the captain it wasn’t easy! But, by the end of the week, people had begun to overcome their differences and we had a really great time.”
On his return to Japan, he continued to play and be part of The Big Issue Japan football programme, leaving when he secured work.
“The Big issue helps to change people’s perceptions towards those who are homeless. But I wanted to show that I could live without the help of The Big Issue. It’s how I can show the impact they’ve had on my life.”
Over the last few years, he has changed jobs a few times and always struggles to explain to new employers and recruiters about the gap in his CV. The time when he was homeless.
“I want people of all ages to see this film and want to hear what they think about homeless people and the Homeless World Cup. I also hope that more people from Japan will have the opportunity to participate in the Homeless World Cup.”
“It’s not a good thing to have prejudice about anything including homeless but it’s also hard to change people’s perceptions. I hope that by watching the film or coming to the Homeless World Cup, it will make an impact on people, however small it might be.”
Our Japanese partner is Diversity Soccer Association, find out more about their work.
Words: Rebecca Corbett