Scotland stars Robert Snodgrass and Gemma Fay turned George Square into a giant ‘back green’ with an enormous washing line assembled to represent the colours of all 64 teams.
The 48 men’s and 16 women’s sides will participate in a week-long celebration in the heart of Glasgow, from 10-16 July, which for the duration aims to be the, “most inspiring place on the planet.” In total 512 players will participate, each with a story to tell as they continue on a journey towards a more stable future.
As part of the team announcement, the rankings have been released which will be used to allocate a seeding pot for the draw, which takes place in May.
Applying countries qualify based on a lengthy evaluation process which takes into consideration the programmes’ on the ground activities during the previous year.
These programmes are evaluated based on capacity, development and growth, local partnerships, participation within the Homeless World Cup network, and communication, among other factors.
The rankings are calculated based on team performance over the last seven years, with extra weight given to Amsterdam 2015, Santiago 2014, and Poznan 2013.
Players can only participate in the Homeless World Cup once, and so team performance can vary greatly from year to year. Consistency from year to year is, therefore, more important than final position in a single tournament.
Greece, Ivory Coast and South Africa participate in the women’s competition for the first time.
Homeless World Cup Foundation president Mel Young comments:
“This is always an exciting announcement which allows us to reiterate the global nature of the Homeless World Cup and the inspiring activity our National Partners deliver across 73 countries. For us, this is about so much more than a football tournament, as it represents an opportunity to shine a light on our players who have embraced a demanding journey towards a better future. They deserve their moment, and we know Glasgow will give them a welcome like no other.”
Scotland and Glasgow City goalkeeper Gemma Fay says:
“So many of the women who will participate in the Homeless World Cup have unimaginable stories behind and with them, and so I am very glad we can give them a platform here in Scotland to perform as part of their journey. It’s incredibly inspiring.”
