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Street Child World Cup - 26th October 2022

The Street Child World Cup's in Qatar. It helps teenagers with difficult lives. There are teams from 24 countries. Teams from Syria and Palestine played for the first time.

The competition's part of Street Child’s plan. It wants to give street children a good future.

Hazem Attar’s family left Syria. The war made them leave. They went to Turkey on a boat. Hazem was 10 years old. It was a dangerous journey.

Hazem Attar: "We moved from Syria to Turkey by sea in 2016. I thought that the boat that took us would be modern and everyone would have their own room. But there ended up being more than 500 refugees on board, and we only just made it. Thank God we arrived OK."

Street Child United uses sports to help children. It helps children get identity papers. Its work keeps children safe.

The children get new opportunities. But Street Child United wants governments to listen to children too.

Football's an international language. It helps young people understand each other. Julia Pimenta works for Street Child.

Julia Pimenta: "Football is the language that we all speak here. So even though we don't speak the same languages, we understand each other. We understand playing football. So football is also the way for these young people to bond so they can deliver their message to the governments to talk serious when we need to. But is only possible because of football."

There are big problems in Hanin and Hazem's countries. They want to talk about the situation.

Hanin Saleh: "This is the first time that Palestine is participating in a youth World Cup. We came here to talk about our country and the rights of our country and our rights, and we are so happy to be here in Doha. The right to play, the right to education, the right to express ourselves."

Hazem Attar: "We want a safe country. The second thing we are asking for is for families to be reunited. Currently, Syrians are separated, whether they are in Europe or elsewhere."