Street Child United uses the universal power of football to change the way the world negatively sees and treats street-connected young people, so they can be protected, respected, and supported to build a life away from the streets.

Ahead of the world’s biggest sporting competitions, Street Child United organizes international sports events for street-connected children to be seen and their voices heard – on a level playing field.

The charity’s flagship initiative is the Street Child World Cup, an international football tournament and congress for street-connected children, which kicks off-ahead of each FIFA World Cup. The first Street Child World Cup took place in South Africa 2010. There has subsequently been Street Child World Cups in Brazil (2014), Moscow (2018) and Qatar (2022).

The Street Child World Cup provides a global platform for young people to advocate for their universal rights; the right for legal identity, the right for protection from violence, the right to access education and the right for gender equality. In addition to sport, teams participate in art workshops and child congress sessions to help shape their message.

Street Child United believes every child has the right to fulfil their potential and create a better future; together we help these inspirational young people tell the world ‘I am Somebody.’