Update-March 2025

What was already hard and has become harder.

Pulling off an ambitious effort like the Global Cup is HARD. But it's been even harder since November 2024. Things are dark. The current administration in Washington, DC is rapidly undoing years of progress in equality, dignity, empowerment, and community building.

The risks for our refugee players have gone up. Headlines in the news around immigration are deeply unsettling. Actual detainment and deportations of immigrants are happening here for our fellow humans simply seeking refugee from persecution and physical harm. Travel bans are apparently in the works. This Administration is even considering revoking the legal status of Ukrainians and Afghans and others who have legally arrived here in recent years, many after risking their lives helping the United States military.

All of these actions have only raised the anxiety and risks for our refugee players and their families. This situation should trouble all of us.

But we persevere...and pivot.

Unfortunately, based on the above chaotic and hostile backdrop we have to make some tough decisions about traveling overseas with some of our teammates. BUT in spite of these disruptive macro challenges we pivot and keep moving toward our goals, undeterred and in unison. There is strength in numbers, and I 100% believe that we can and will do great things if we simply lean on one another and never give up.

Due to the much higher risks to legal refugees and immigrants on our team in the USA, and the general anti-immigrant sentiment and even hostility, we will have to leave some of our players behind here in the USA.
The shocking, punitive, and short-sighted financial cuts of essential funding globally to help the displaced around the world means we are unable to have full teams from India and Germany, as we had really hoped. (We will still try to get some representative players there!)
Japan is still in and the team there is focused on bringing a few players with immigrant backgrounds.
Players and teams within Spain are stepping up in a big way and we are THRILLED with the representation forming there.

I am so happy to report two awesome pivots. (Sometimes unexpected challenges force changes that turn out even better than original plans.)

Our HQ team will be participating in a special event in DC on May 31 on our way to Madrid, including our players from the DC area! Stay tuned for more details.
We are changing the name of the Global Cup to the Global HOPE Cup (see image below). The current environment may be full of fear, uncertainty, and chaos. But we can’t let this negativity slow us down. And it will certainly never stop #SheBelongs. So, I am adding one word that will remind us, and show the rest of the world what we are made of: HOPE.

HELP = HOPE

If you feel helpless, then help us! Nothing fuels HOPE more than HELP.

And we ALL can use much more of both. Please donate what you can right now.

In relentless hope and binding solidarity,

Adam Miles, Founder & Executive Director | March 23, 2025

Join Us in Celebrating Young Women in Sports

In the heart of one of the world's greatest fútbol nations, Madrid, Spain, the 2025 #SheBelongs Global Cup will bring together inspiring female athletes from across the world. This ambitious inaugural event is much more than a weeklong soccer tournament—it's a showcase of resilience and growth, and an engaging celebration of our shared humanity, together striving for a kinder, more inclusive society where all have a true shot at realizing their dreams. We will engage in exciting fútbol matches, serve the local refugee community, hold leadership workshops, and advocate for change by engaging the media, private companies, and government entities.

Together, we create opportunities for young women around the world to take their "true shot" and build connections that open doors across diverse backgrounds and cultures. Our initiatives provide access to competitive play and the valuable life lessons of organized sport that might otherwise be out of reach for young women from underrepresented communities. We offer educational scholarships to foster lifelong growth, mentorship from inspiring leaders, and safe spaces that empower these young women in their pursuit of success along whatever paths they may choose.

In 2023, a group of 22 young women, half refugee and half non-refugee, from Utah came together to form a team dedicated to each other and to spreading a message of inclusion around the world. They traveled to San Francisco, Tokyo, and Auckland, New Zealand where they watched the highest level of women's soccer unfold at the World Cup. The people they met along the way, the bonds they forged, and the experiences they had were truly life-changing.

You can check out our documentary film trailer here:

The 2023 trip is the catalyst for the 2025 Global Cup where we will inspire and catalyze change for thousands of people around the world.

We invite you to play a pivotal role in this movement. Your support will not only help organize an unforgettable event but will also provide the necessary resources and open the right doors for us to shine a much-needed spotlight on these young women so their brilliance can shine more brightly in their local communities and across the globe.

How can you make a difference?

Your generous contributions will help fund training programs, provide essential sports gear, and offer travel grants to committed players, also individually fundraising, ensuring that no player is left behind.

Expected Costs:

$100-High quality cleats for refugee players that don't have them
$300-Special #SheBelongs Global Cup kit and apparel
$1,000-Lodging, Food, and Transportation in Madrid for the week
$2,000-Roundtrip economy airfare from the US to Madrid

Together, let's make the 2025 #SheBelongs Global Cup a beacon of hope and a testament to what women can achieve when given the opportunity. Your support is not just a donation; it's an investment in a future where every girl everywhere knows that she belongs and can fearlessly pursue whatever opportunity she desires.

#SheBelongs Global HOPE Cup!

Dozens of brave young women, refugee and non-refugee, come together through soccer to build life-changing bridges, sharpen their advocacy skills, and grow as leaders with a hopeful message of equality and kindness.

Team Members