Street Football Wales celebrates historic Homeless World Cup success with Cardiff homecoming
Welsh Sports Association member Street Football Wales (SFW) welcomed players, supporters and partners to Hodge House in Cardiff for a powerful Homecoming Event celebrating the women who represented Wales at the 2025 Homeless World Cup in Oslo.
Hosted by Bute Energy, the event marked a year of record-breaking achievements for the charity’s Women’s Inclusion Programme — supported by the Welsh Government’s UEFA Euro 2025 Partner Support Fund.
The afternoon opened with a live performance from Ani Glass, who kicked off proceedings with her track Ennill yn Barod, dedicated to the squad, setting the tone for a celebration filled with pride, resilience and community.
Stories of courage at the heart of the event
A central moment in the afternoon was the on-stage conversation led by BBC Broadcaster and Journalist Catrin Heledd, who spoke with team co-captains Tor Planner and Marie Tilley about their journeys through Street Football Wales.
Tor — who was living with severe agoraphobia just 18 months ago before finding her way to an SFW session — gave an emotional, honest answer when asked what the charity had done for her:
“It saved my life.”
Marie shared her own powerful story: returning to football through SFW after breast cancer and a double mastectomy, rebuilding confidence, strength and connection through the programme. Together, their stories captured exactly why the women’s pathway matters — and left few dry eyes in the room.
Honouring a historic performance
The event closed with a cap-and-certificate ceremony for the squad, led by Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government, Jayne Bryant MS, alongside Ani Glass. The ceremony recognised Wales’s best-ever finish — seventh in the world — and celebrated the team’s success in winning the FIFPRO Fair Play Award, acknowledging their generosity, leadership and sportswomanship in Oslo.
Throughout the afternoon, speakers highlighted the impact of the dedicated investment that enabled this rapid growth. The Women’s Inclusion Programme, funded by the Welsh Government’s UEFA Euro 2025 Partner Support Fund, has supported weekly sessions in Cardiff and Haverfordwest, national training camps and the charity’s strongest Homeless World Cup preparation to date.
A message from Street Football Wales
Interim Director Bethan Thomas stated:
“I am incredibly proud of this squad. Finishing seventh in the world, breaking records for Street Football Wales, and bringing home the FIFPRO Fair Play Award is an extraordinary achievement. This success reflects years of commitment from players and staff — and crucially, the investment that allowed our Women’s Inclusion Programme to grow this year through Welsh Government support. But demand is rising every week. To continue this progress, and to build an even stronger pathway for women across Wales, we urgently need new partners and supporters to join us.”
Support the next Homeless World Cup journey
With this year’s dedicated funding coming to an end, Street Football Wales is calling on supporters, partners and funders to help sustain the Women’s Inclusion Programme and build towards next year’s ambition: preparing both a women’s and men’s team for the 2026 Homeless World Cup in Mexico.
SFW has launched a Homecoming Crowdfunder, running until the end of December, to support ongoing women’s sessions as well as the next international campaign.
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