 The 2006 Homeless World Cup starts on 24 September |
More than three quarters of the players who took part in the Homeless World Cup in Edinburgh have been inspired to change their lives, organisers say. Tournament officials said 77% of the players who took part in the 2005 event in the capital had made a positive change to their lives.
Organisers said hundreds of players had moved into education or housing, come off drugs and alcohol and found jobs.
This year's event kicks off in South Africa on 24 September.
More than 10,000 players from 48 nations will take part.
Last year's event in the Scottish capital attracted more than 50,000 spectators.
The social impact study found that 94% said they had a new motivation for life, 38% had found regular employment, 40% had improved their housing situation and 28% had opted to develop their education.
Researchers also discovered 12 players now make their living from football as coaches or players with professional and semi-professional teams.
Mel Young, founder and president of the Homeless World Cup, said: "The competition has proved yet again that sport, and in our case football, has enormous power to create real and lasting change.
"Although the tournament has now grown to become a first-class sporting event in itself, the overall goal of the cup is to create a mechanism where homeless people can change the circumstances in their lives."
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The competition has proved yet again that sport, and in our case football, has enormous power to create real and lasting change
