The Homeless World Cup Blasts Into Sacramento

For over thirteen years, the Homeless World Cup (HWC) has forever changed the lives of its participants, including coach and former player Lisa Wrightsman.

“When people come to an event like this, there’s a sense of freedom. There’s no judgment, it’s very inclusive. So, for a little while you can feel what you want it to feel like all the time, and it can be a point of reference,” says 42-year-old Wrightsman, who is originally from Elk Grove.

A former Sac State soccer star and now Managing Director of Street Soccer USA: Sacramento, Lisa shares her life with spouse Tiffany Fraser, another Hornet’s soccer standout and now Chief of Staff for Street Soccer USA. Together they helped bring the HWC to Sacramento this month.

It was the first time in the organization’s 20-year existence that a U.S. city has hosted the annual event. This year’s competition gathered over 300 athletes from 30 nations in a powerful display of skill and resilience.

Participants must be at least 16 years old, have not played in a previous Cup, and been homeless during the past year. There are also provisions for asylum seekers and people in rehabilitation programs. This year’s athletes were housed on Sacramento State’s campus during the one-week tournament.

Wrightsman knows firsthand about triumphing over adversity. After her dreams of a professional soccer career faded, she struggled to find her way and her meth addiction finally landed her in jail in 2009. She started her recovery and then everything changed when she had a chance to join Street Soccer USA.

“I was about nine months sober, and to have an opportunity like that and be selected by people who wanted to do something for me… it was kind of wild,” she says. By 2010, she was representing the United States at the Homeless World Cup in Brazil.

“The tournament changed my life,” says Wrightsman. “I felt like I was still accomplishing dreams that I had to leave behind.”

This year, she coached the U.S.A. women’s team to a fifth place finish out of 12. The men ended up 11th out of 28th. Powerhouse teams from Chile and Mexico took home first and second places in both categories.

Regardless of the team’s final placements, Wrightsman knows that players’ lives have been changed in very significant ways.

“All they want to do is learn and be better. And if you ask them what they do, they would tell you they were a soccer player. They don’t say ‘I am a homeless player,’ and they aren’t going to a ‘homeless practice.’ They’re going to soccer practice.”

To get to this level, Wrightsman notes that players are also working hard on their personal goals off the field. Notably, the tournament supports the participants with access to healthcare, education, employment opportunities, and social services.

As a lesbian, Wrightsman is also aware of how the event can impact homeless LGBTQ+ individuals who face a double

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and photos by Chris Allan stigma. She says the HWC provides a safe space for people to find acceptance and support.

“I had to deal with these feelings, and I didn’t realize that they were about not belonging, of shame,” she remembers.

“There’s a really big lack of understanding of how someone ends up homeless. Especially with the LGBTQ community and transgender, it’s a whole other level of trauma.”

Wrightsman encourages support for the homeless community by attending events like the Homeless World Cup. This way, she says, people gain a better understanding of the challenges faced by individuals experiencing homelessness and the potential for change through sports and community support.

“Seeing, understanding, learning about people will help us to design better solutions,” she believes. “Seeing what somebody can achieve and become with the right resources? Like that’s f**king exciting to me!”