Key Takeaways
- The Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) will provide accommodation, logistical support, and access to a professional, regulation-sized stadium for the 2026 Street Child World Cup.
- The tournament runs May 5-15, 2026, at the IMSS Oaxtepec Vacation Center in Mexico City, timed ahead of the FIFA World Cup.
- Street Child United (SCU) and Fútbol Más México co-organize the event, which has been running as a global initiative since 2010.
- Beyond football, the SCWC serves as an advocacy platform for street-connected youth to advance rights around legal identity, education, and protection from violence.
A Global Tournament Taking Root in Historic Football Territory
Street Child United (SCU) and Fútbol Más México have announced a formal partnership with the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) to support the 2026 Street Child World Cup (SCWC). The tournament, scheduled for May 5-15 in Mexico City, brings together street-connected children from around the world, young people who have experienced homelessness, extreme poverty, violence, or social exclusion.
IMSS will supply accommodation, logistical infrastructure, and access to a professional, regulation-sized stadium for the duration of the event. The venue, the IMSS Oaxtepec Vacation Center, also provides a range of additional facilities for participants throughout the tournament.
More Than a Match: Advocacy Built Into the Format
The Street Child World Cup operates on a dual mandate. Competition is central, but so is advocacy. Participants are given structured opportunities to engage governments and institutions directly, sharing their lived experiences to influence laws, policies, and public attitudes around children’s rights.
Zoé Robledo Aburto, Director General of IMSS, noted the event will include activities beyond football, with participation from international figures who have been involved in the initiative since its founding in 2010. The framing positions Mexico not just as a host, but as an active participant in the event’s broader mission.
Timing the Tournament to the World Cup Moment
Staging the SCWC in the lead-up to the 2026 FIFA World Cup is not incidental. Mexico is co-hosting the senior tournament alongside the United States and Canada, placing the country at the center of global football attention. Running a parallel event focused on youth advocacy and access gives the SCWC a built-in platform it would otherwise need to manufacture.
John Wroe, Co-Founder and CEO of Street Child United, said: “Staging the Street Child World Cup in a historic football nation like Mexico is a powerful opportunity to elevate the voices of street-connected children on a global stage. The support of IMSS ensures we can deliver a tournament that is not only inspirational but transformative.”
What Mexico City Gains From Hosting
For Mexico City and IMSS, the partnership connects a major public institution to an internationally recognized humanitarian sports event. Ignacio Gómez, CEO and Executive Director of Fútbol Más México, emphasized the organization’s commitment to creating “an experience rooted in dignity, quality, and care” for every participant, adding that Mexico welcomes them “with open arms.”
The partnership also strengthens Fútbol Más México’s profile in the sport-for-development space, a sector that has grown steadily as governments and NGOs look for programming that connects youth engagement with measurable social outcomes.
What the 2026 SCWC Signals for Youth Advocacy Through Sport
With government-level institutional backing now secured, the 2026 Street Child World Cup has the infrastructure to operate at a world-class level. The IMSS partnership gives organizers stable housing and facilities, removing logistical barriers that often limit the scale of humanitarian sports events. As the FIFA World Cup draws global attention to Mexico, the SCWC offers a parallel narrative, one centered on access, rights, and what sport can accomplish when its reach is deliberately extended to the most vulnerable young people.
Source: Sport and Dev
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