In the Trailer for 'The Beautiful Game', Sport Can Build a Better World

Can sports change the world? That is the question at the heart of the upcoming Netflix film The Beautiful Game, which is based on the true story of the Homeless World Cup. The annual event, which first took place in 2003, aims to use soccer to support and inspire people who are homeless to change their own lives and to change perceptions and attitudes towards those experiencing homelessness. The 2024 Homeless World Cup will occur in Seoul, South Korea, while the most recent edition of the street football tournament took place in Sacramento, California, in July 2023.

The Beautiful Game stars Bill Nighy (The Man Who Fell to Earth) as Mal, the coach and manager of England's homeless soccer team, who takes his players to Rome hoping to be crowned champion of the Homeless World Cup. At the last minute, he brings along talented striker Vinny (played by Top Boy's Michael Ward), who might be good enough to give them a real chance of winning. But Vinny has to face some personal demons and overcome his conflicting feelings over his once-promising past before he can fully embrace his place with this team and move on with his own life.

The film's ensemble also features Susan Wokoma (Enola Holmes 2), Callum Scott Howells (It's a Sin), Kit Young (Shadow & Bone), Sheyi Cole (Atlanta), Tom Vaughan-Lawlor (The Ipcress File), Robin Nazari (Snabba Cash), Aoi Okuyami (Girl/Haji), Cristina Rodio (Halo), Tadashi Wantanabe (Tokyo Vice), Kazuhiro Muroyama (Pachinko), and Valeria Golino (The Morning Show).