The Story of Day 3

Today’s blog is being written from my favourite spot on our Oaxtepec campus. On the edge of the training fields, with a view of the mountains peeking over the walls of the stadium, there is a huge mango tree, with benches circled around its trunk.

It’s the perfect place to drink a green smoothie and take stock of another amazing day at the Street Child World Cup…

Today’s art sessions

This morning started with a fantastic session from our arts team. The young people had the chance to screen print, create lino print stamps, make stencils and produce charcoal drawings, gradually building their own finished posters with the words “I am somebody” at the centre.

The previous day’s flag-making had been about the team. This was much more personal, and some of the posters were incredible.

As Georgia from the arts team put it, “art is a universal language”. You could see exactly what she meant. Sometimes, just seeing one example was enough for the young people to take the metaphorical ball and run with it. It was a delight to see their creativity, confidence and individuality coming through on the page.

Volunteer vs staff football match

After lunch, we all had some much-needed free time to rest. But for many of us, it was mostly used to prepare for the staff and volunteer football match.

Played on the training pitch in front of a crowd of young supporters, the teams went head-to-head in true Fútbol Más style. The idea was to show our young people what a fair game of football could look like, and judging by the number of Green Cards that were shown, it certainly lived up to that expectation.

Unlike yellow or red cards, which penalise players, Fútbol Más uses Green Cards to recognise positive behaviour. That might mean playing hard for each other, celebrating with creativity, or helping an opposing player when they are down. The Green Card was first introduced 18 years ago, so when we partnered with Fútbol Más, it was one of the easiest things to agree on. It is exactly what this tournament is all about: rewarding moments of unity, sporting excellence and creativity.

After some hard-fought matches, the teams took a quick hydration break before we gathered in a circle in the middle of the pitch. We then held a Green Card ceremony, which saw individuals receive a Green Card before passing one on to a fellow player, explaining the reason behind their choice. It was a real highlight of the day.

Night 2 of the Late Show

At dinner, the skies opened, which meant we had to make a quick change of venue for our second Late Show. Thanks to our Late Show coordinator, Aled, and our amazing sound tech team, we were able to relocate from the main square to the auditorium and keep everyone dry.

As the young people chanted and sang in anticipation, everyone filtered in and took their seats. Indonesia Boys kicked off proceedings with an outstanding warrior performance, dressed in beautiful traditional clothing.

South Africa Girls then treated us to a medley of songs and dances, with “Waka Waka” raising everyone to their feet in record time. Team England were up next, sharing an original song they had written with the Liverpool Philharmonic Choir, celebrating Sir David Attenborough’s birthday, and rounding things off with a medley of Liverpool dance classics, including “One Kiss”.

We were then given a moving performance by Mexico Ikoots, whose serpent dance brought to life their community’s rich traditions, mythology and connection to the natural world.

Germany Girls followed, showing off dances and songs from the many cultures within modern Germany, before Hungary Boys presented a comedic walk through Hungary’s history and national traits, including a nod to the Rubik’s Cube.

Argentina Boys then closed the young people’s performances with a display of Argentine tango, dressed in Messi shirts, before the Team Leaders from Team Wales rocked the room with a belting rendition of “Let It Go”.

Another day down, and even more memories made.