The Beautiful Game – Watch Bill Nighy and Micheal Ward in the trailer for the new football movie

Mal (Bill Nighy, Living, About Time) is the manager of England’s homeless football team, taking his players to Rome with the hope of being crowned champions of the Homeless World Cup, a global street soccer tournament. At the last minute he decides to bring with them a talented striker Vinny (Micheal Ward, Empire of Light, The Book of Clarence), who could give them a real chance at winning, but only if he’s ready to let go of his past and become part of the team. Made with the support of the Homeless World Cup, The Beautiful Game is a film of second chances – where homeless teams from around the world find that all roads lead to Rome, and everything’s to play for.

Directed by Thea Sharrock (Me Before You, Wicked Little Letters), the film stars Bill Nighy (Living, About Time), Micheal Ward (Empire of Light, The Book of Clarence), Susan Wokoma, Callum Scott Howells, Kit Young (Shadow and Bone, upcoming FX series, Alien), Sheyi Cole, Tom Vaughan-Lawlor, Robin Nazari, Aoi Okuyama, Cristina Rodlo, Tadashi Watanabe, Kazuhiro Muroyama and Valeria Golino.

The Beautiful Game hits select UK cinemas on 22nd March and then releases globally on Netflix on 29th March 2024.

The Homeless World Cup Foundation was established in 2001 with the first Homeless World Cup taking place in Graz, Austria in 2003. The Foundation’s mission is to use football to support and inspire people who are homeless to change their own lives; and to change perceptions and attitudes towards people who are experiencing homelessness. The 2024 Homeless World Cup will take place in Seoul, S Korea.

It operates a Global Network, bringing together 70 member countries that are using football to tackle homelessness and social isolation in their community. Providing a focus for – and a celebration of – their year-round activity with the Homeless World Cup, a landmark international street football tournament that, has taken place in cities all over the world such as Cape Town, Cardiff, Melbourne, Edinburgh, Paris, Rio, and Mexico City. The most recent edition took place in Sacramento, California in July 2023. It also supports their Member Countries’ day-to-day work by building international connections, facilitating skill sharing and helping Members to develop. Giving them the tools, skills and platform, they need to change their lives and the lives of those around them.