11 September 2015

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon last night met up with the Street Soccer (Scotland) Homeless World Cup football teams to cheer them on before they set off to take part in the international competition that has attracted 74 teams from across the globe.

‘Street Soccer (Scotland) is a social enterprise that uses football to help create positive change in the lives of socially disadvantaged adults and young people across Scotland.

The Homeless World Cup is a unique and inspiring event that uses the power of football to help transform the lives of over 1 million homeless people throughout the world.

FM @NicolaSturgeon cheering on @streetsoccerSCO ahead of @homelesswrldcup pic.twitter.com/M3YSKBvrpT

— First Minister (@ScotGovFM) September 10, 2015

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said:

To compete in the World Cup is fantastic recognition of the skill and professionalism of the coaching staff and players. And, as our male team face the challenge of becoming the first country to win the competition three times our female team will be appearing for the second time and face the host nation.

I wish both teams the best of luck and encourage everyone to get behind Team Scotland. The support that all of Scotland’s sporting teams receive is unrivalled and we are lucky to have such a passionate fan base.”

David Duke, founder of Street Soccer Scotland said:

I know that everyone representing Scotland is determined to win but I can’t stress enough the positive influence the experience will have on the lives of everyone taking part.

Having the First Minister take time to meet the squads is fantastic and is the perfect send off for everyone and we’ll be doing our best to make Scotland proud.”

.@NicolaSturgeon shows support for #Scotland's #HomelessWorldCup squads http://t.co/gGKjJJnbNs #FF @streetsoccerSCO & @homelesswrldcup

— Peter Swindon (@PeterSwindon) September 11, 2015

Follow the teams progress here
To find out more about Street Soccer visit here