AFP, Seoul :
The 2024 Homeless World Cup (WC) kicked off in the South Korean capital of Seoul on Saturday, marking the first time the event has ever been held in Asia.
Held each year since 2003, the event bills itself as helping participants change their lives for the better through football, while also challenging society’s perceptions of those experiencing homelessness.
This year’s edition features 52 teams from 38 countries worldwide, according to local organisers, and got under way Saturday on the main pitch at Seoul’s Hanyang University.
This is the tourney’s first outing since FIFA signed an agreement in August to partner with the Homeless World Cup Foundation in organising it.