The Street Soccer Nations Cup returns for 2023 next week in Largs, Ayrshire. We can’t wait to welcome eight women’s teams from multiple nations across Europe to compete for this year’s trophy.
Our women’s only tournament will be played in Homeless World Cup style format at Barrfields Park, home of Largs Thistle, and we can now confirm the six nations that will be taking part across the weekend.
Team Scotland will be entering two teams to the Nations Cup, with players selected from Street Soccer’s Street45 programme, which happens weekly across multiple locations. The players selected will have the opportunity to pull on the iconic Team Scotland jersey in front of friends and family as well as come together for a life-changing experience.
An ‘Alba’ team will also be entered into this year’s tournament, which will comprise of players from multiple local recovery organisations. We are sure all the players involved will be welcomed with open arms by their compatriots as well as their opponents from across the continent.
England will be back for the second year running, with players selected from Comfort Angels, an organisation based in Liverpool that supports refugees and asylum seekers through the power of football.
They will be joined by last year’s champions Republic of Ireland, with Irish Homeless Street League’s entering a women’s team that will be looking to remain victorious in Largs. Their programmes take place in 10 locations across Ireland and support socially disadvantaged players through the power of football.
Street Soccer Northern Ireland will also be returning to Scotland for another shot at the Street Soccer Nations Cup with Team Northern Ireland. treet Soccer NI is a charity that uses football to bring positive change to people’s lives. They work with disadvantaged groups including the homeless, long term unemployed, refugees, people with addictions, people with mental health issues, ex-prisoners and more.
Our newest entry is from Romania and we’re delighted to have them join us for this years Nations Cup. Players will be selected from Clubul Sportiv Fotbal De Strada Metanoia programmes. The organisation support people who are homeless by helping them access legal advice, giving them an opportunity to play football, build a support network as well as giving them a hot meal at the end of every session.
Lastly, we are glad to welcome back the vibrant Sweden team from Gatans Lag programmes. Gatans Lag is a football organisation that uses football as a tool to beat homelessness, addiction, and other types of social exclusion through football. They create motivation and energy within the players for them to be able to change their own life situation.
With eight teams now confirmed, we look forward to next week’s event with players, staff and volunteers from all six nation expected to arrive in Largs from Friday morning.
To keep up with all the latest updates on this years Nations Cup, including fixtures and results, please visit our social channels and our dedicated webpage, here.
The event is completely free and will not require any tickets. Matchplay will begin on Saturday morning at Barrfields Park on Brisbane Road, with Friday’s activity open to all of the local community, which you can learn more about here.
