Seoul Homeless World Cup games to be broadcast on FIFA+

FIFA signed a memorandum of understanding with the Homeless World Cup Foundation (HWCF) to jointly broadcast the 2024 Homeless World Cup on FIFA’s streaming platform FIFA+, the world football governing body announced Saturday.

Homeless World Cup Co-Founder and President Mel Young, left, poses with FIFA President Gianni Infantino in Paris on Saturday. [FIFA]

FIFA signed a memorandum of understanding with the Homeless World Cup Foundation (HWCF) to jointly broadcast the 2024 Homeless World Cup on FIFA’s streaming platform FIFA+, the world football governing body announced Saturday.

The Homeless World Cup is an annual football competition organized by the HWCF that advocates the end of homelessness through football. Teams of homeless people from around the world compete in the competition.

FIFA’s announcement comes before the Homeless World Cup kicks off in Seoul on Sept. 21. Korea is the first Asian country to host the competition.

As part of the MOU, FIFA will also supply material and equipment like medals and trophies for the tournament.

Korean Homeless World Cup players also had some professional football experience on Friday in Seoul, meeting Tottenham Hotspur players Guglielmo Vicario and Destiny Udogie during the Korea team training.

Korean Homeless World Cup players, in sky blue, and Tottenham Hotspur pose in Seoul on Friday. [FIFA]

Tottenham and Bayern Munich arrived in Seoul earlier this week for the Coupang Play Series — a preseason exhibition series.

During Friday's meeting, the HWCF taught the Spurs duo the rules that make the Homeless World Cup unique.

The tournament runs with different rules to ordinary football, as only four players — three outfield and a goalkeeper — are on the pitch at any one time. Each match also lasts for 14 minutes, in two seven-minute halves.

The Korean players also met Bayern in Seoul on Saturday at a special roof-top event where the players had a training session under the Bundesliga side’s coaching staff.

Senior Vice President of Bayern, Dr. Dieter Mayer, was also at the event and spoke about the values of the most successful German club aligning to the vision and mission of the HWCF.

"We're very proud that we as FC Bayern Munich get to meet the Homeless World Cup Foundation and the team of South Korea here,” Mayer said in a press release. “For decades, our club has been characterized by the fact that it always looks out for people who are less fortunate. Presidents such as Uli Hoeneß and Franz Beckenbauer embedded the social conscience in the club's DNA, and our current leadership around Herbert Hainer are continuing this tradition.”

Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly said that the 2024 Homeless World Cup kicks off in Seoul on Sept. 7, but the tournament starts on Sept. 21.

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]