Less than 90 days before FIFA’s World Cup begins in Mexico, a migrant children soccer tournament in Mexico is taking shape in the capital. Hundreds of migrant and refugee boys and girls living in shelters in Mexico City are training for their own tournament, using football as a way to build connection, confidence, and community.
The initiative, called “Goals for Inclusion,” is funded by the European Union and focuses more on helping children feel safe and included than on winning. For many participants, that mission matters deeply after journeys marked by violence, illness, family separation, and xenophobia.
Since late February, children in shelters across Mexico City have been training on makeshift pitches while wearing blue jerseys and boots provided through the project. The tournament is set to take place in late April at a sports complex in the capital.
The program is backed by the Mexico City government, the UN refugee agency UNHCR, and the International Organisation for Migration.
Organisers say the goal is to promote integration, protection, and peaceful coexistence among migrant and refugee children. That message is especially important in shelters, where many children have limited play space and often spend long periods indoors.
Football offers children a sense of hope
For parents, the project is about far more than sport. Joel Orta, a Venezuelan migrant living in Mexico with his family for a year, said football can cross any border.
As his 8-year-old son Matías played at their shelter in Tepito, Orta recalled taking part in a similar UN-supported tournament last year. He said that experience taught him never to lose hope, regardless of life’s setbacks.
Those small moments of normalcy can have lasting value. In difficult living conditions, football gives children a chance to play, interact, and simply be children again.
Why the program matters in Mexico City
The tournament comes as many migrants in Mexico face uncertainty over what comes next. Some are still deciding whether to continue north, return home, or remain in Mexico.
At the same time, humanitarian organisations say around 300,000 migrants remain stranded in the country. Many lack the means to return, while others cannot go back because of threats to their lives.
Some migrants also report hostility from locals and growing barriers to legal status. As a result, many are pushed into informal work, where exploitation can be common.
Perla Acosta, director of the civil association Más Sueños, said sport can help build peace and strengthen communities. Her organisation is responsible for the program’s technical implementation.
She said integration activities help children get to know one another and develop their skills. In shelters where space is tight and routines are restricted, that kind of interaction can make a real difference.
