From Sleeping Outside to a Soccer Tournament: Homeless World Cup makes US debut in California

When the ball went past the Finnish goalkeeper into the net, 24-year-old Sienna Jackson couldn’t believe she had just scored the first goal of the Homeless World Cup, making its US debut in California. Just a few years ago, the American forward was sleeping on the streets of Sacramento, less than 8 km from the Hornet Stadium where she was now playing.

“I went from … sleeping out with rats to scoring a goal for my country,” Jackson said.

Organised by Street Soccer USA and its chapter in Sacramento, the Homeless World Cup aims to use the sport to inspire players across the globe who have experienced homelessness. Over 300 players – divided over 40 national teams – are competing in the tournament, hoping to reach the finals on July 15 and eventually get back into society.

She Didn’t Want To Disappoint ‘Herself’

The tournament comes at a time when the US state is fighting a deepening homelessness crisis. California is considered the most unaffordable state, with people needing to work 90 hours a week to live in a one-bedroom apartment on minimum wage. It counts a third of the homeless population in the country – potentially over 171,000 people.

Homeless World Cup co-founder Mel Young called the homelessness emergency a global problem and not something associated with just California. He asked for greater concentration on finding the solution, instead of just continually talking about the problem. “We are using the sport in a constructive way to get people off the streets.”

Jackson, who became homeless at the age of 19, said she had been nervous before competing on the field, since she knew this would be her only performance in a tournament of this sort. Homeless World Cup doesn’t allow players to compete more than once. Playing for the country was no less than a second opportunity, Jackson said, and she didn’t want to disappoint herself.