A different brand of World Cup fever will hit Winnipeg this weekend.

But instead of highly paid elite soccer stars, the teams are made up of homeless men.

Players from Calgary and Toronto will be in the city on Saturday on a quest for a berth in the Homeless World Cup.

Forty-eight countries will compete in the international tournament Sept. 23-30 in Cape Town, South Africa.

Winnipeg is hosting the Canadian qualifying matches starting on Saturday. Sixteen players from the Calgary and Toronto teams will compete for eight spots on the Canadian Homeless National Team. To qualify for the team, players must have been homeless in the last year.

Paul Gregory, the Toronto-based coach of the Canadian squad, said he works with homeless shelters in downtown core areas to locate potential players for local teams.

To date, there are local homeless soccer leagues in Calgary and Toronto, although Gregory said he would like to see a league set up in Winnipeg.

Gregory said the concept of a homeless sports tournament has made a positive impact on his players, as it emphasizes their personal strengths rather than their weaknesses.

'Hugely empowering tournament'

"It's a hugely empowering tournament," he said Thursday. "There's guys who have come from really dire circumstances, chaotic lives, and have come to see some hope and some empowerment.

"There's lots of stuff that happens on an individual level. There's the athletic side of it that comes out: guys get back into shape, they work themselves hard to get a different 'drug' in their lives. There's lots of highs and lows."

Toronto resident Angelo Variano is one of the players vying for this year's team. He represented Canada in last year's Homeless World Cup in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Variano got into the sport while staying at a drug transition house. He said playing soccer has helped him and others turn their lives around.

"The guys from last year, I think, are all doing great. We keep in touch," Variano said. "This is good for everyone; it's good for the guys who participate, it's good for the people that want to participate in the future."

The qualifying matches in Winnipeg start Saturday at 10 a.m., at Court Sports Club on Taylor Avenue. It is open to the public.

The national team relies on private donations and needs to raise $20,000 to $25,000 for this year's trip to Cape Town. So far, it has raised about $5,000.

Those interested in supporting Team Canada can make a donation at any TD Canada Trust branch under the account name "Street Soccer Canada."

The Homeless World Cup movement was founded in 2001 during the International Network of Street Papers Conference in Cape Town.