Middlesbrough will once again host a football tournament aimed at supporting people experiencing homelessness and identifying talent for England’s Homeless World Cup squad.
Preparations are underway for the second annual northern regional homeless football tournament, which will take place on September 3 at Middlesbrough Football Foundation’s Southlands facility.
The event will bring together players from across the North of England and will be used to identify potential candidates for England’s squad at the 2026 Homeless World Cup, which is set to be held in Mexico.
Last year’s northern trials took place at Middlesbrough Sports Village and attracted more than 100 participants. Organisers described the event as a success, with two players selected to represent England at the Homeless World Cup in Oslo.
The tournament forms part of a wider effort to use sport as a tool to improve confidence, wellbeing and social inclusion for people facing homelessness or housing insecurity.
Middlesbrough has increasingly become associated with the Homeless World Cup programme. Last year, discussions were reported around a potential bid to bring the 2030 Homeless World Cup to Teesside.
The 2026 Homeless World Cup will actually take place in January 2027, from January 17 to January 23. According to organisers, the revised dates will allow the tournament to return to Mexico City’s iconic Zócalo Square, which previously hosted the competition in 2012 and 2018.
The Homeless World Cup Foundation said the scheduling change followed discussions with local organisers and partners to ensure the event could once again be staged in one of the world’s most recognisable public spaces.
