“Football is the only constant in our lives,” said Daniele*, 24, a Syrian refugee-participant in Koblenz, Germany. “It doesn’t matter where you’re from or what you’ve been through, there’s always something you share with other people despite the differences. There’s always a part of you seeking peace, love and normality.”  

Daniele’s love of football started as a student in Latakia, Syria, before the war forced him, and millions more, to flee. He studies IT at a university in the Rhine city, working as a waiter during vacations. He plays alongside asylum-seekers from Syria, Iran, Afghanistan, Somalia and Eritrea in a team organised by local club TuS Koblenz. He sometimes plays with Germans — whom he sees as “gentle and warm” — and loves the social outlet.  

He still follows his hometown side but his real dream is spending a season watching AS Roma in the Stadio Olympico. “I started saving money for the trip, but it’s going to take a while,” he said. 

Yvan Bikambo, a coach with Red Deporte, an NGO working at a school in Bindia, East Cameroon, told how football brings together refugees and locals. “In the classrooms, we have both Cameroonian and Central African children. And they play together during breaks. They also meet outside school,” he said, adding he tried to capture the “many beautiful colors and blue skies, which means hope and light to me.” 

Shegofa Hassani, an Afghan refugee in Australia, said football had helped changed attitudes among her own community. “A lot of people still don’t think Afghan girls should play sport, and this allows us an opportunity to prove them wrong and stay active and socially connected,” said Hassani, a Football United player and ambassador, who now leads the Sydney United Girls program.  

“I want more Afghan girls to dream big and follow those dreams. Too many of our girls are not following their dreams because of cultural, family and financial barriers. We aim to eliminate barriers by building trust, being visible and doing our thing.” 

In Kenya’s Kakuma camp, Carlos Gatlliah, 25, who fled his native South Sudan, is a sports coordinator and peer counsellor. He hopes his experience will help him become a psychologist.

“I would like to go back home and help people with trauma and stress from the war in the healing process, as well as rebuild the country.” 

Mahmoud, 19, a Syrian from the Zaatari camp in Jordan, said: “I can’t even spend one day without doing sports or playing football. It’s one of my stress release methods.”  

He is a football coach at the Zaatari Olympic Committee. In 2017, he was chosen in an initiative to train in Qatar and has played for top Jordanian sides Al-Hussein SC (Irbid) and Mansheyat Bani Hasan. He realises his position is privileged, allowing him to escape the drudgery of camp life, even if only for some hours. 

With his pictures, he tried to show,

“how people love sports … but also how they suffer because they don’t have equipment and training shoes. Football is really important and the community cares.” 

Among the other stories is that of Sadio Malang, from Senegal living in Turin, where a programme run by Balon Mundial Football helped him make new friends and find a job, while finishing an electronics course at night school.