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The World Not at the Cup

By Where Is Football

The 32 nations competing for the 2018 FIFA World Cup have booked their tickets to Russia.

Their itineraries have now been filled out—at least through the group stage—and in just over half a year's time, the tournament will take over 12 stadiums in Russia and TV screens around the globe.

But this competition's scope is far larger than just its final stage, with a qualifying process that started in East Timor back in March 2015 and consisted of 872 matches seen by over 18 million spectators.

178 other countries tried, and failed, to qualify for the 2018 World Cup. Some more attempted to simply have the opportunity to participate in qualifying, but were denied membership by FIFA or disqualified before their opening matches.

But far away from the manicured fields and television cameras of a FIFA-sanctioned occasion, football goes on in all of these other lands. It goes on in the tall grass of rural villages, on floating rafts tied together to create a pitch, and atop skyscrapers in dense urban cores. It goes on in refugee camps, in elementary schools, and in retirement homes. It goes on in the hearts of those caught in civil wars, those struggling for equality, and those waiting for their big break. It provides hope, solace, and connection.

In collaboration with our friends Goal Click, we wanted to shine a spotlight on some of the nations who won’t be represented this coming summer in Russia. Rather than focusing on the World Cup, we wanted to focus on the world not at the Cup. We wanted to tell a few soccer stories that you might not otherwise hear.

Goal Click worked with locals in these places to help showcase the sport in their own backyard through the medium of analogue photography.

From the red dirt fields of Sierra Leone to Singapore’s futuristic retractable dome to the beaches of Lebanon… this is the world’s game, by the world.

Indonesia

Photographer: Harry Widjaja

“Football is a language. When we cannot speak a local language, football speaks for us. The Elseng tribe cannot speak or understand Bahasa Indonesia (the official language of Indonesia). But when we meet and play football, there is a connection between us.

Football is a neutral tool to help development and peace. There are many issues in Indonesia. We cannot use religion for development and peace. We cannot use political parties. But wherever you go with a football the local people will welcome you, no matter what language you speak.”

LEBANON

Photographer: Dr Issam Srour

“Football in Lebanon is a reflection of the country’s complex demographic fabric. Most of the clubs have sectarian and/or political affiliations. One of the few clubs that broke this rule, to a certain extent, was Nejmeh SC. Since its inception in 1945, the club has had fans from various socio-economic, political, and religious backgrounds. Given the location of its home ground, Nejmeh SC attracted fans and players from the diverse nearby Ras Beirut district and subsequently from all parts of the country. With time, the club lost some of this diversity and was eventually bought by the leader of one of the powerful political groups.

Lebanese people will find a way to play football anywhere. A family outing or a gathering of friends will easily end up in a game of football that combines young and old, boy and girl, Christian and Muslim. It does not matter if the goal is broken or if the net is torn: if there is a spherical object and a bit of space to run then there is ample space for a game of football. The only problem, sadly, is that finding any sort of space to play in is becoming more and more difficult.”

RWANDA

Photographer: Didier Bana

“FHPU was founded by Eric Murangwa Eugene, former captain of the Rwandan national football team and a survivor of the Rwandan Genocide against the Tutsi in 1994. During the Genocide, Eric lost 35 members of his own family, including his youngest brother, who was just 7 years old at the time. He owed his survival and that of his family to the protection they received from fellow members of his football club Rayon Sports F.C. This included Rayon board member Jean-Marie Vianney Mudahinyuka, otherwise known as Zuzu, a notorious leader of the Interahamwe militia – a man subsequently imprisoned for his role in the genocide.

Eric often says football saved his life. It transcended ethnic differences and ultimately gave him hope for the future. It is this faith in the beautiful game that led Eric to establish FHPU.”

For many years after the Genocide, I kept asking myself “why me?” And only recently I came to realise that those who survived had all survived for a purpose, which is to make sure our loved ones weren’t lost in vain. The only way we can do that is to make sure that what happened to them, and to us, never happens to our children; and this is why FHPU is here today.”

SIERRA LEONE

Photographer: Pastor Abraham Bangura

“There are times I think about the senseless war that took place in our country, it makes me want to shed tears. One of the main things I was trying to showcase is that disability is not inability. We are not just teaching them about football, we are also building capability, such as giving them loans to do microfinance. We want to see the amputees coming out on the streets, with skills, and then be somebody in society that society will recognise.

For us to turn their pain into power, we needed to start this amputee football.”

BOLIVIA

Photographer: Cecilia Marlene Farfan Lopez

“My favourite shot is an abandoned old football pitch near the small city of Bermejo on the border with Argentina. I loved how it looked and it’s fascinating to think about how it must have been used and enjoyed by so many people in the past, I’m sure there must be a lot of anecdotes about it. I find it amazing how everything changes - a soccer field that used to be enjoyed by so many nowadays is abandoned and its glory days seem so far away.”

IRAQ

Photographer: Anonymous

“The most popular game in Iraq is football, and it is the only game that can unify the Iraqi people. When the Iraqi national team wins, all the people celebrate regardless of religion, gender and ethnic background. This is the role football can play.

Security is the main challenge. In areas of Kurdistan occupied by Islamic State nobody can play football anymore. The nonprofit Spirit of Soccer has stopped activity in these areas due to the occupation and our coaches have become Internally Displaced People (IDP). But when the Iraq national team came 4th in the Asia Cup in February 2015 all the people of Iraq celebrated together.”

NICARAGUA

Photographer: Veronica Balladares

“Soccer has been growing in this country, although baseball still dominates - but despite that, we show that through soccer we can break down barriers, unite our nation and transform lives. We use soccer as a vehicle for positive social change with the girls of our city, Granada. We integrate them into society through education and we create girls with the right values so that they become good people in our society.”

CANADA

Photographer: Matthew Stith

“The guy with the #21 uniform on is probably one of the most passionate fans I’ve seen in North America. He is a leader of one of the fan groups for Toronto FC and gets access to the field at all the games. When Toronto FC score, it looks like he just won the lottery. When they concede it looks like he just got shot in the heart. He lives and breathes Toronto FC. Fan culture is new and just starting to really formulate. It’s cool because it has become a melting pot of all the different cultures around the world.”

SAINT LUCIA

Photographer: Skye Gerald

“I want to show that both male and female footballers in St Lucia have what it takes to be the next Lionel Messi and the next Kelly Smith, and the love and respect we show for the sport.

Football is important in St Lucia because it keeps St Lucians active and promotes healthy lifestyles. It's also a meaningful way of bringing the community together, an outlet to engage in something purposeful.”

JORDAN

Photographer: Abdelrahman Hasan al Attar

“Even without proper football pitches and regardless of the environment we can adapt and our love of football prevails! All people love football and Jordan has people who originally come from many different places. Even though they came to Jordan for different reasons, everyone loves football and can play together.”

INDIA

Photographer: Blessy Sippora

“I wanted to show that Indian girls can play football. I think that all girls who want to play games, not only football, should be allowed to. In India, there is a mentality that girls are not going to play, that girls are only working at home. And then they are married. But I think all girls want to play!”

SINGAPORE

Photographer: Abdul Aziz Bin Azhar

“Though it is uncommon, I wanted to show that there is passion in the stands, coming from groups of fans that feel our football needs a boost in atmosphere. I love the exchange of energy that can be felt between fans and players during a game.

Singapore is a very small country with a very dense population of 5.3 million, squeezed into an area smaller than half of London. Free space is hard to find and even when there is space, sooner or later it will be taken away for development.

This was the case for a group of footballers in the town of Buangkok, playing outside the perimeter of a construction site. They've been playing in that big open field for many years, but that narrow stretch of grass is all that they have left now.”