From Merseyside to Mexico

Liverpool girls step onto the world stage

10 girls from the Liverpool City Region will represent Everton in the Community (EitC) and Team England on the global stage as they compete at the 2026 Street Child World Cup.

The tournament is organised by Street Child United. It brings together young people from across the world for a celebration of football, arts and youth-led Congress sessions, all designed to champion the rights of street-connected children.

The initiative empowers children by advocating for their rights and providing opportunities they deserve, with this year’s competition taking place in Mexico City.

A squad backed by elite support

Everton in the Community’s squad features 10 players selected from its Children and Youth Services programmes. Everton Women stars Courtney Brosnan and Katja Snoeijs have been supporting the girls’ preparation over the past 12 months.

Goalkeeper, Courtney Brosnan, said:

“Football has the power to unite diverse communities and raise awareness about prevalent social issues which is what Street Child World Cup, and Everton’s official charity, is all about.

“It has been a pleasure to work with EitC and the fantastic girls representing Everton and England!” 

Journey to the final

The team began their journey to Mexico City on Saturday, 2 May. They first headed to London before arriving in North America in the early hours of Monday morning (4 May).

The players and accompanying EitC staff members received free branded training gear. This included t-shirts, shorts, track pants and 1/4 zip tops, gifted by Castore. Wild Thang also provided branded caps, water bottles and backpacks.

The competition began with the qualifications stage on Saturday, 9 May. The group stage followed on Sunday, 10 May and Monday, 11 May. The grand final will take place on Thursday, 14 May.

This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity has been made possible thanks to funding from the Premier League and Professional Footballers’ Association through the Players Project Pilot. It features participants from EitC’s She Inspires programme.

The Players’ Project Pilot aims to build stronger connections between players, communities and football clubs by putting players at the heart of local projects that help address important societal issues.

Everton in the Community works alongside the PFA to empower and support players to make a difference through the charity’s life-saving work across Merseyside.

If you’d like to support EitC, click here to donate.

Click here for more information about Everton’s Street Child World Cup team.