"The ‘Seoul 2024 Homeless World Cup’ pre-national representatives, along with key executives from FC Bayern Munich, coaches, and former/current players gathered in a heartwarming event that drew attention.

According to the Seoul 2024 Homeless World Cup Organizing Committee on the 5th, Bayern Munich and the homeless World Cup pre-team met at the Adidas The Base futsal venue in Yongsan, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 2nd.

This meeting was created at the suggestion of the Bayern Munich side, which visited Korea as part of the Coupang Play series. Seo Dong-kyun, Bayern Munich's Korean strategy planning director general, noted, "Hearing that the homeless World Cup Team Korea pre-team would conduct a training camp during this visit, we hoped they could experience social support and gain positive inspiration, so we organized special lessons and invitations."

The meeting, which lasted about two hours from 2 p.m., included the following agenda items: ▲ Training session opening and introduction ▲ Introduction of FC Bayern Munich participating executives and coaches ▲ Introduction of the homeless World Cup organizing committee and team participants ▲ Welcome address ▲ Group photo session ▲ Training.

Attending this event were Bayern Munich's Vice President Dieter Meyer, Vice President Walter Menekes, active star defender Noussair Mazraoui, former player Diego Contento (2008–2023), and legendary goalkeeper Raimond Aumann, a member of the 1990 Italy World Cup winning team. The homeless World Cup Foundation was also represented by COO James MacMeekin and PR & Marketing Manager Matthew Williams, along with Team Korea's Director General Ahn Byung-hoon, Coach Lee Han-byeol, the coaching staff, and all pre-players.

James MacMeekin, COO of the Homeless World Cup Foundation, who attended the opening invitation, emphasized, "The Homeless World Cup to be held this September is the first of its kind in Asia. It is an honor to hold this event in Seoul, and I look forward to the innovative and transformative impact this tournament will bring to society," and added, "I am grateful to Bayern Munich for providing this wonderful opportunity and want to express my gratitude to the tournament organizing committee."

In response, Dieter Meyer, the Vice President of Bayern Munich, stated, "It is an honor to be in this city, and I am particularly pleased to meet the South Korean national team. Including Vice President Walter Menekes, legendary goalkeepers who led Germany to World Cup victory in the '90s and former and current stars are with us here today."

He also expressed, "We genuinely feel how significant the Homeless World Cup's value is in solving the social agenda of eliminating homelessness through soccer. Bayern Munich has always kept such social values in mind and has paid attention to them, so it is an honor to be here with you all."

Dieter Meyer pointed out, "The president also has a keen interest in the Homeless World Cup, and former president Franz Beckenbauer emphasized the importance of such social value during his time at the club. We aim to continue this spirit. We must all show concern for those who are homeless or live in inadequate housing," wishing luck to the South Korean national team.

Bayern Munich presented the player uniform signed by Kim Min-jae to the South Korean national team, and the homeless representative team also presented framed calligraphy works containing welcome messages and Korean names of the main attendees, creating a warm scene.

The official event concluded with a special training session by Bayern Munich under the guidance of coach Jonas Gaillot. The coaching staff, including Jonas Gaillot, provided invaluable experiences to the South Korean national team pre-players.

On this day, Kim Jin-jja, a soccer analysis expert creator and ambassador for the ‘Seoul 2024 Homeless World Cup,’ also participated in the special training session. Eleven pre-players, Ambassador Kim Jin-jja, and the coaching staff engaged in various training programs from passing exercises to dribbling practice and mini-games on the sun-drenched ground.

The following day, on the 3rd, Bayern Munich invited the homeless World Cup representative team and coaching staff to a match between Bayern Munich and Tottenham Hotspur. A Bayern Munich official noted, "Thirteen members of the homeless World Cup representative team and coaching staff were invited to the match on the evening of the 3rd at the Seoul World Cup Stadium, during the '2024 Coupang Play Series' Bayern Munich vs. Tottenham Hotspur game. We hoped that through watching the game, we could motivate them for this World Cup, and going forward, Bayern Munich will continue to be concerned about the marginalized homeless, and we once again congratulate the Korean hosting of the Homeless World Cup and hope the national team can showcase their skills freely."

Meanwhile, the 19th ‘Seoul 2024 Homeless World Cup,’ the first to be held in Asia, will take place from September 21 to 28 for eight days at Hanyang University’s main stadium, with participation from over 500 marginalized athletes from 64 teams across 49 countries. Players can only participate once in their lifetime. During the tournament, international tournament games and global conferences will be held, along with major programs such as a vegan festival, equal market, and soccer market. Hanyang University’s social service group and the Seoul Volunteer Center are recruiting volunteers, with the Im Young-ung fan club ‘Hero Era’ participating as a cheering squad. General volunteer recruitment will begin in August.

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