The two young leaders, both alumnae of Street Child United (SCU), were presenting the United Declaration of the Street Child World Cup 2026 – a document built around football, and around the campaign message “I Am Somebody”.

A pitch, not a pity party

Ms. Richards grew up navigating difficulties at home that took a toll on her mental health and left her, at times, in risky situations.

© Sarah Boeseler

Street Child United's Samantha Richards addresses a meeting at the UN on football and mental health.

Football changed that trajectory. “Growing up, I had some difficulties at home,” she said. “But football gave me friendships, leadership skills, and an outlet to speak up.”

Through SCU she met other footballers chasing an education and followed them – becoming the first in her family to earn a college degree. “Sport is a catalyst for mental health advocacy, and it’s ok to speak up when you’re struggling, just like I did,” she said.

Ms. Hifume’s route to New York started in the Philippine foster care system, where isolation bred sadness and loneliness.

“In foster care, it’s so easy to think that you’re nothing more than a foster kid,” she said. SCU gave her something else: a team to lead, a stage to speak from and, eventually, a scholarship to study in the United States and a PhD offer from Oxford University. “Football gave me the gift of curiosity about the rest of the world beyond the game,” she said.

Twenty-eight teams, one declaration

The declaration itself was forged far from UN corridors, in Oaxtepec, Mexico, where 28 teams competed in this year’s Street Child World Cup.

Delegates from each side drafted and endorsed the text at the tournament, distilling their demands into five priorities: legal identity, education, protection from violence, gender equality and a genuine say in decisions that affect their lives.

SCU is part of the UN’s Football for the Goals initiative, which uses the sport to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Bringing the declaration to New York – which co-hosted the World Cup final – days after Ms. Richards spoke on a panel in the General Assembly Hall, gave that grassroots process rare access to a global stage.

Street Child United archive

The Street Child United organization created the Street Children's World Cup. The event brings together children in vulnerable situations to practice sports in the same city or continent where the official World Cup takes place.

No longer invisible

For Ms. Richards, the moment closed a loop. “Standing in the Hall of Flags and the General Assembly wasn’t just about me,” she said. “It was about every young person who’s ever been made to feel invisible. Through football, I found my voice, and today we showed that our voices belong in these spaces.”

Ms. Hifume framed it as an argument for investment over neglect. “This Declaration is about making sure every street-connected child knows they matter,” she said. “When we invest in children, they become leaders.”

Both insist the real test starts now, once the applause in the Hall of Flags fades.

They want governments and agencies to treat the declaration’s five demands as a checklist, not a souvenir, and to keep listening to street-connected children well beyond the tournament that produced it.

As Ms. Richards put it, the declaration rests on a simple recognition: “we are all somebody”.

© Sarah Boeseler

Members of the Street Child United's visit UN Headquarters.