In December 2007, Gilles De Bilde – former professional soccer player, occasional catwalk model and father of three – received a phone call from an Antwerp social worker with an unusual question. Would he be interested in coaching a team of homeless soccer players?

Not just any team, but the team that will defend our country at the Homeless World Cup, the world championship soccer for the homeless. Gilles accepted and he entered one of the greatest adventures of his life: trying to prepare a group of people living on the edge of society for the Homeless World Cup in Melbourne in December 2008.

Homeless World Cup is a story about soccer, but above all it is a story about people. People who try to get their lives back on track by playing soccer. It is the story of Danny and Claudia, who share a history of drugs and convictions, but it is also the story of Pedro, the “godfather” of the De Conincksquare. And of Eric, a devoted father and a proud man, who used to drive his Porsche through the streets of Antwerp and now sleeps in a homeless shelter. All of these people have one common goal: qualify for the Homeless World Cup in Melbourne.

Homeless World Cup follows Gilles De Bilde and his team getting ready for the world championship, from the first phone call to the end of the project. Will Gilles’ team make it to the Homeless World Cup in Melbourne?

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Details

Channel: Eén
Genre: Docu, reality, sport
Broadcasting Period: 2009