Montreal’s unhoused try out for team Canada ahead of Homeless World Cup tournament

Montreal's homeless players try out for Canada's team for the Homeless World Cup

Samuel Drovelt-Bejan, from left, Joseph Tijo, Fabrice Mugabe and Jean-Philippe Dore practice during a training session with the Canadian Street Soccer Association in Montreal, on January 22, 2025, ahead of the Homeless World Cup to be held in Norway.

Fabrice Mugabe passes the ball past a defender and passes it to Jean-Philippe Dore, who taps it into the hands of the goalkeeper, a social services worker at a homeless shelter in Montreal.

For the men, who play on an indoor pitch in Montreal's Plateau neighbourhood, it was their first chance to show off their skills to the coaches who will select a team to represent Canada in the annual international soccer tournament in Oslo, Norway, in August, the Homeless World Cup.

After Wednesday’s practice session, Mugabe, 35, said he felt “tired, lifeless and out of breath, but most of all, it’s great because I haven’t been outside for a long time.”

“I’m touching something I haven’t been able to touch for a long time,” he added.

The Canadian Street Soccer Association, which organized Wednesday’s practice session, is a non-profit organization that helps homeless and marginalized people reintegrate into society through sport. The association has reached out to homeless shelters in the city and invited vulnerable people to participate in the beautiful game.

The association aims to attract players from different provinces to compete in the Homeless World Cup, which is organized by a charity called the Homeless World Cup Foundation.

After the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Mugabe lost not only his job at a warehouse, but also his home. “I went through a tough time like everyone else and had nowhere to go without a job,” he said. But with the help of Father’s House, a men’s shelter in Montreal, Mugabe now has a new job and is saving up to rent an apartment.

Bob Humphries, Quebec program manager for the Canadian Street Soccer Association, oversaw Wednesday’s practice. Originally from London, England, he said his group organizes soccer tournaments to give homeless people a chance to build community and recover from hardship.

“The goal is to put a smile on their face… to put a positive spin on the mindset,” he added. “It’s not just about talent, it’s not just about football. It’s more about the social aspect and for these men to build social skills and re-enter society.”

Humphries said he expected about seven players to show up on Wednesday, but only two of the homeless showed up. He said the frigid temperatures that day made it difficult for participants to travel, adding that a truck belonging to the Old Factory Mission, one of the Montreal shelters involved in the program, had a flat tire and was unable to transport the players.

Jean-Philippe Dore, 49, who has been homeless since 2021, said he came Wednesday to show off his skills on the field. “I feel really good, to be honest,” he said after practice. “I have a talent for soccer and I want to prove myself.”

Samuel Deroulet-Bejean, a social worker at Father’s House, said the soccer program allows employees and homeless people to connect with each other outside of the shelter setting.

Hossam Khadr, executive director of the Canadian Street Soccer Association, said a total of eight players will be selected for the men’s and women’s teams. Currently, the association is recruiting players in Quebec, Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia, but plans to expand the program to other Canadian provinces for future Homeless World Cups.

For the August tournament, each team will have four players — a goalkeeper and three forwards — playing on a smaller field than a typical FIFA field. The tournament is held in a different city each year; previous editions have been held in Paris and Rio de Janeiro.

Players must be recently homeless or temporarily homeless, Khadr explained. But some people with a fixed address, including refugees and those struggling with mental health or addiction issues, may be selected. The selection committee will choose those it believes would benefit from traveling to Norway and participating in the tournament.

Ed Kiwanuka-Quillin, the operations manager for the Canadian Street Soccer Association in Ontario, said participating in soccer was a lifesaver for him when he was homeless in Brampton, Ontario, more than a decade ago. He said he became depressed and attempted suicide when he couldn’t cope with the death of his mother and the trauma of the Ugandan civil war.

Kiwanuka-Quillin had been in the shelter for two weeks when a member of the street soccer association asked him to kick a ball. At first, he declined the offer, but eventually he played and felt “the joy of belonging.”

Every successful pass and goal was a celebration that gave him hope and energy to get his life back on track. After two years of homelessness, he represented Canada at the 2012 Homeless World Cup in Mexico.

“It was the simplicity of being invited… and that’s the transformative power of sport… feeling like you matter.”