Ten young people from Swansea flew to Mexico City last week and came home with a fifth-place finish at the Street Child World Cup — Wales’s first ever appearance at the tournament, and one that took 18 months of fundraising by the players themselves to make happen.
The boys team was drawn entirely from Swansea City AFC Foundation’s Premier League Kicks sessions in Llanelli and Blaenymaes — two of the programme’s community sites in south-west Wales that offer free football and personal development sessions to young people who might not otherwise have access to them.
The Street Child World Cup, organised by Street Child United, is not a conventional football tournament. It uses sport, art and advocacy to challenge the stigma faced by street-connected children and campaign for their rights — shining a spotlight on young people living in street situations and the fundamental rights they often lack. Alongside the football, participants took part in arts workshops and congress sessions focused on human rights, diversity and cultural understanding.
Wales entered two teams — the boys’ side from Swansea, and a girls’ team based in Blaenau Gwent. The boys finished fifth overall in their first appearance on the global stage.
What makes the achievement particularly striking is how the players got there. The young people selected from the Premier League Kicks sessions spent 18 months volunteering and fundraising to cover the costs of the trip themselves — a commitment that required sustained effort long before any of them set foot on a pitch in Mexico.
Thomas Williams, Head of Programmes at Swansea City AFC Foundation, said the experience had been everything the programme hoped it would be. “We are thrilled to be a part of the Street Child World Cup, offering deserving young people a once-in-a-lifetime experience to represent Wales and play football against teams from across the globe,” he said.
“Young people from our Premier League Kicks sites in Llanelli and Blaenymaes were selected and over the last 18 months have been volunteering to raise funds to cover the costs of the trip,” Williams added.
“The young people selected from our Premier League Kicks sessions demonstrated tremendous commitment throughout the journey, spending 18 months fundraising to help make the trip possible. We could not be prouder of everything they achieved both on and off the pitch.”
The Premier League Kicks programme operates across Swansea City Foundation’s community sites, offering free sessions to young people in areas where access to sport and structured activities can be limited. For many of those who took part in the Mexico trip, it will have been their first time travelling internationally.
Wales’s debut appearance at the Street Child World Cup ended with a fifth-place finish — a result that, given it was the nation’s first ever entry in the tournament, represents a remarkable start for a programme built not on elite talent but on community, commitment and opportunity.
