(crowd roaring)
(dramatic music)
- It's not only about sports.
- [Announcer] Messi, Messi, Messi!
- There's no jazz about amazing ability.
- [Roy] Football is a language in itself,
it surpasses all barriers.
When I get the ball at my feet,
I feel absolute love.
- [Man] When he gets to the pitch,
we're on even grounds.
- Leo was born like this.
- Messi, messi, messi, messi!
- [Woman] The goosebumps and the emotions, phenomenal.
- Football can help bring communities together.
- [Man 2] We could become bigger and greater through football.
Football is not a game, it's emotion.
It comes from the heart.
(thoughtful piano music)
(wheels squeaking)
(children playing)
- When we watch football on TV, we always see sponsors,
so we're trying to copy how it looks like on TV,
but while using bottle caps to do it.
So we're trying to make it look like a match on TV.
At the age of 7, I fell in love with soccer.
With that ball, first time. And it was amazing.
You know football, that ball that is being kicked, that is beautiful.
The designs, the fabric, the sphericalness of it...
that ball will play with your eyes.
You will end up even crying.
We've got a lot of trophies. This isn't the only trophy,
we have many different kinds of trophies.
But you need to defend them!
This kind of a trophy you have to defend it three times.
If you win it three times, it's yours permanently.
It's half time here in Cape Town stadium.
It's Bloemfontein Celtic up against SuperSport United.
SuperSport United are playing in a red colour team
and approaching from the left-hand side to the right.
This is our way of playing.
We forget even to eat, when we play we don't think about eating.
We think about winning!
(speaking foreign language)
We are currently facing a lot of wind, when you look at our temperatures.
It's Mbena in charge here.
C'mon, Mbena!
Sometimes it's hard and you cry as well.
They even fight. If the referee calls something wrong...
I get complaints every day.
And a corner kick!
They'll look to have a chance in the corner kick here.
And a chance...
And a goal! What a goal! Beautiful one here.
So it's 2 SuperSport and 2 Celtics.
- Fezile started loving soccer from a very young age...
Like he...
I used to shout at him every day, "Fezile! Fezile!"
because he used to commentate.
So every time, he used to scream,
"Hey! They scored a goal! They scored a goal!"
I never saw him doing anything else, only soccer.
- Ever since I was young, I was watching it,
in love with it.
I wanted to become a professional player
but for reasons out of my control, it was not possible.
(solemn piano music)
- [Roy] Most kids around the world
dream about playing in a World Cup.
I am very privileged and honored
to be able to say that I'm doin' that.
But it's not exactly the kinda World Cup
that most kids would imagine.
(players talking over each other)
(ball rattling)
When I first tell people that I play blind football,
the reaction tends to be one of curiosity.
I think most people don't actually know
that the sport exists.
(lively rock music)
I don't think people expect much.
You know there's just a group of blind people
scrambling around after a ball that makes a sound.
I don't think they realize at what pace
and what aggression the game is played at.
(ball rattling)
The game is competitive,
so you will get players runnin' into each other.
But you know it's a part of the game.
I have light perception, so I can just about make out
shadows of very, very large objects if they're close to me.
There are some who have absolutely no vision at all.
So the eye masks we use make it
completely fair for every outfielder.
- One!
- The goal keepers are sighted,
because the ball doesn't make any sound
when it moves through the air, for one thing.
So it would be easy to score past the blind keeper,
cus you just kind of chip the ball over them.
And the keeper's role in the game
is not just about saving shots.
It's around communication.
- Right!
Yet play!
- [Roy] So the use of sound is very important to us
in how we play blind football.
(music turns suspenseful)
In 12 days, we leave for Madrid
to take part in the Blind Football World Championships.
We're trainin' five, six days a week,
twice a day a lot of the time.
We're really, really driven, really focused.
Whoever wins this competition,
is the best blind football team in the world.
(thoughtful music)
(children playing)
(bell clanging)
- [Teacher] Carbon dioxide, water and,
the carbon dioxide and water combine with each other
in presence of light then.
- [Teacher And Students] Chloroplast.
- [Teacher] Chlorophyll.
It produces the carbohydrate,
that is C six,
- [Teacher And Students] H 12, O six.
- Stroma lamellae for T two 60 grana.
Now Rakshanda, tell me about the role of stroma
and grana in chloroplast.
- Stroma performs dark reaction
while grana performs light reaction in the chloroplast.
- Right, sit down.
- When I'm in class, it doesn't matter what the subject is...
the only thing on my mind is, "When will I get out of here?"
I think less about studies and more about football...
I'm just constantly waiting for the bell to ring and the class to end.
(bell clanging)
(playful music)
A female football player has a different personality.
She has a different walk.
Girls who don't play football
miss out on so much in life.
In our team, Raksha is the right forward,
center forward is you Sejal,
left forward is Ayushi.
I'll play in centre midfield,
right midfield is Bhoomika, left midfield is Megha.
We are a unique team.
- Isn't that why we win our matches?
- Actually, we are unique. There is no doubt about it.
- You've got a point.
- Whenever we are together, we only discuss football.
Earlier, we were just friends,
but ever since we started playing football, we've become sisters.
- Priya, are your socks too tight?
- Yes, they're very tight somehow.
- The socks are not tight. She has put on weight.
- Perfect. Priya has become fat!
- All set, Raksha? Hurry up.
- Why are you all in such a hurry?
- We want to play!
- Good afternoon. - Good afternoon, Ra.
- Good afternoon. (speaking foreign language)
Good afternoon. - Good afternoon, Ra.
- Good afternoon. (speaking foreign language)
- How was your day?
- It was good.
- Ready!
Shot.
(upbeat music)
- Football is my life.
- Nice pass!
- When I get the ball in a game, the feeling is indescribable.
I feel invincible.
Girls who don't play sports, they don't have that confidence.
The way I am talking right now is with confidence.
Other girls can't speak with the same confidence.
In India, boys get all the opportunities to play.
When girls want to play, they always say,
"You are girls. You must only do household chores."
I don't care about what other people say,
I do whatever I feel is right.
- Goal!
- Soon, I leave for nationals training camp,
where the best girl players are selected from each state of India,
and a squad of 16 girls is formed.
This team represents my state of Maharashtra
that then plays matches against other states in India.
To make it onto the national team...
that's my dream.
(thoughtful piano music)
♪ At the station ♪
♪ Where we met to talk it through ♪
- [Roy] If this was in Liverpool,
there'd be graffiti all over this.
- [Father] Oh, probably.
- Probably two of the fingers,
three of the fingers have been cut off
and just like somebody swearin', probably.
- [Mother laughs] Yeah!
- [Father] Actually, you know.
You have got the crease in your finger on this one.
I just noticed.
- Yeah, where it's been, where's it's kinda bent over.
- Yeah, where it's bent.
- You know where you bend your finger.
- This is the ring finger. - Oh, yeah.
- It's about like it.
- My entire close family are blind.
They've all been heavily involved in sport.
My sister is a paralympic gold medalist in cyclin'.
My brother plays blind cricket for England.
And my parents have a cabinet full of trophies and medals
from their own achievements.
(easy guitar music)
♪ And the Emerald Isle's peaceful ♪
♪ Though the storm raged on at times ♪
♪ And I know there's still love ♪
♪ Between your heart and mine ♪
- [Roy] I think people often
underestimate blind people.
To see somebody who's blind just go into the shops
for some people that's oh wow, that's amazing.
I don't want easy compliments.
I want to see how far I can push myself.
I know what I'm capable of, and I wanna show others
that I'm capable of it as well.
And being here at the World Cup
is the perfect place for me to do that.
♪ I was standing at the station ♪
♪ While your train was rollin' out ♪
("God Save the Queen" playing)
♪ God save our gracious Queen ♪
♪ Long live our noble Queen ♪
♪ God save the Queen ♪
(crowd cheering)
(dramatic music)
(players shouting)
(ball rattling)
(crowd cheering)
- Goal, England!
Foul against Mali. And a penalty kick...
Goal, England! Player number 7.
(whistle blows)
(crowd cheering)
(whistle blows)
Goal for England! Number 9, Roy Turnham!
(whistle blows)
- [Roy] The ultimate goal of this World Cup for me
is to not hold anything back.
To perform at the best level that
I can possibly perform for my team.
(thoughtful music)
- It was always my dream to play soccer,
but I had challenges.
When I was 12 years of age, I felt a little bit sick
and I didn't know what was happening to my body and...
it was tough that day.
We got the chance to go to hospital the following day
to a local clinic.
Every doctor was coming in. I was talking with every doctor.
A lot of tests were taking place with different departments...
until it was found.
Throat cancer.
Doctors told me that it's something that might kill me.
I needed to spend around two years in hospital.
I felt strange...
very much strange.
A lot of needles were coming into my body, a lot of different chemicals.
And they were making my body weak.
I was so worried, what's going to happen to me?
And it just dropped the confidence out of me.
But during that time, in my hospital room,
I never thought that I was sick while I was watching soccer.
I fell in love more and more.
To see players playing on TV, it was motivating me every day.
It was making me vigilant...
to see things differently.
So I said to myself that, "Enough is enough."
(music turns inspiring)
"I need to get back to the field now...
and now I'm willing to work hard
to achieve success in football."
(thoughtful music)
(car horns honking)
- Let's buy you a pair of trainers.
What size do you wear? 30 something?
- There's no need to buy anything.
There are only two sport events left at school.
- Let's buy a new pair. Yours are dirty.
- They can be cleaned.
- I'm buying you a new pair.
- Where can we buy them?
- Over there. Size 36 or 37? 35 or 36?
- It should be 36.
- How come your feet are so big? - That's almost my size.
- What's your size?
My size is only 39.
Do you have any trainers for girls in size 36?
Being a father in China is not easy.
Let's go.
They need to be a role model and give everything to their children.
How many vertical lines can you draw in a straight line?
Do you know what a vertical line is?
- A vertical line is like this...
- My daughter is everything to me,
but football is also an important part of my life.
(food sizzling)
It's strange to think about how football has become such an important part of my life.
I grew up in the 1980s,
and football was not a very popular sport in China,
so I didn't really care too much about it.
Put it over there.
But that all changed for me in the spring of 1996.
I was about 16 years old and it was during school break...
I was alone at home and I accidently switched the TV channel.
China had started broadcasting Italian Serie A games.
They were the only international games you could watch in China at the time...
and this particular game was Sampdoria vs Juventus.
Sampdoria hadn't won at Juventus in 13 years.
But this time, they won the game! It was a great victory,
and I just remember feeling so much excitement watching that game.
After that, football became my life.
(crowd shouting)
(crowd cheering)
In the 1980s, football just wasn't a priority for people.
But now, it has become so much more popular
in China with the China Super League.
We even have some international players here.
I wanted to play but there weren't many football pitches in China back then.
(whistle blows)
(crowd cheering)
(thoughtful piano music)
- [Announcer] Things do not look good for England.
They'll need a miracle to change the outcome of this game
against the reigning World Champions - Brazil.
(players shouting)
(whistle blows)
Ooh... and a nasty collision by Brazil!
And another one. This is turning into a nasty game.
One by one, Ricardinho hits it... Goal! Brazil's second.
Goal for Brazil!
The game is about to finish.
Five, four, three, two, one, zero it's over.
(whistle blows)
England have another chance to get through their group
when they face Costa Rica tomorrow.
- [Roy] Oh, one-- Yeah.
There's a little bit sore.
Oh, yeah. Yeah, right there, okay.
[Masseuse] Okay.
- [Roy] I think the team performance against Brazil
was really positive.
It's just, they are such a good side
that any mistake you make, they will punish it.
I had a couple of chances myself,
and I just let the ball run away from me
at the pivotal moment.
- [Masseuse] Good boy!
Ready to go.
(thoughtful music)
- [Roy] Even though we lost to Brazil,
we will have another chance
when we face Costa Rica tomorrow.
We know that with our heart, determination,
and ability, we can beat anyone.
(mellow music)
(Announcer speaking foreign language)
- If our keeper was playing, there would have been plenty of goals by now.
FIFA tournaments are at a very high level.
I can only think how amazing it would be to play one day.
Good ball.
Pass here, here here!
- [Announcer] And a fifth goal!
For the United States of America!
- The women that play...
I want to be like them.
Normally, girls don't have such dreams, but I do.
Earlier, I was never interested in studying, so I always neglected it.
And so my mom warned me...
"Play football all day if you like, but you have to study."
She wants me to focus on my studies
so I get good results on my exams.
In India, every girl is expected to be like their mother.
We are not supposed to play sports.
I don't understand why there's no equality between boys and girls.
My father has the same mentality.
When I was a little girl, he abandoned us.
Why? Because I am a girl.
He didn't want to have a girl.
I don't understand why he thought I was inferior to a boy.
(ball slapping)
I used to hate my father.
For many years, I kept this pain deep inside me.
When I started playing football,
it helped to heal all my wounds.
Now I take all my anger out on the ball.
I'm so excited for Nationals...
extremely excited!
This was my dream and now I'm living it...
so I've been thinking that I should just enjoy it...
and I should be friendly with everyone and have a good time.
These are my textbooks,
because I will study there.
I'm going for 15 or 16 days, that's why I need all these books.
Otherwise, I'll get bored.
- Raksha, bring the cups.
Keep them here.
When will you be back?
- In about 15 days.
- How much money do you need?
- Give me what you can. I won't spend too much money there.
Food and other expenses will be provided.
I won't spend a lot on top of that.
I just need it in case there's an emergency.
(thoughtful music)
(children playing)
Mummy.
You haven't given me the money yet.
- I'll just give it to you now.
Is 600 rupees enough?
- That should be enough for the bus ticket.
Here.
hurry up and get your stuff, we need to leave.
- Yes, yes.
- I don't think this is the right bus.
Oh, it is? Okay.
(car beeps)
- I used to play football in the army and I loved it,
but after I was released, I really missed
the camaraderie of playing and being in a team.
I wanted to start a football team here in Zhengzhou...
but when I looked for a pitch, there were only one or two,
and they were in remote areas far from the city.
We thought about just playing in the park,
but there aren't many green spaces in the city.
It was looking hopeless for us...
then I discovered this place.
(determined music)
I found this abandoned tennis court when I was running an errand,
and suddenly, I had an idea.
I called my friend and said,
"If we can't find a football pitch, let's build our own."
We raised some money, rented this court, and began building this pitch.
(whistle blows)
Compared to the usual way of playing football, it was a weird idea, initially.
But after thinking about setting up the fence
and installing the netting overhead,
I started to think that this could actually work.
It wasn't easy.
I had to apply for so many permits
because it was such an unusual thing to do.
And by the spring of 2014,
we had the first football pitch in the centre of Zhengzhou.
We started as just a small group of friends
who wanted to play after work.
We all had good football skills, except for me.
More and more people started coming to play and so we decided to start a team.
(music intensifies)
Someone drop back!
(clapping)
Because we play every Thursday, we named our team,
- "Team Thursday! Team Thursday! Team Thursday!"
- For me, football means everything...
and if you love the game with all your heart,
one man can hold out against a thousand.
(music becomes somber)
- I finished treatment in 2012.
I went out of hospital in 2013.
I needed to be involved with soccer.
I wanted to be a leader.
So, I told myself, "I will become a referee."
30 metre sprint in 10 seconds.
The latest time is 9.5.
so I can't be doing it over 9.5.
I need to be there around 8 or 9 seconds.
In 3, 2, 1.
5-seconds break.
It's a matter of trying, trying, trying.
The moment you keep on trying, you'll be able to finish.
Referees need to live like athletes.
It's very important that we train, eat healthy...
no drinking too much alcohol.
We also need to study.
I began to study for my refereeing qualification in Soweto Football Association.
And got my level 1 of refereeing, got level 2 of refereeing...
It was so hard.
But after Level 3, they transferred me
to the South African Football Association.
Within a space of eight months,
I became South Africa's youngest professional referee.
This is the first game I ever officiated professionally.
That's me there.
It was a dream come true.
Everybody was amazed to see the first youngest referee.
They never saw a referee who is so short in his height, in his body structure.
- [Announcer] Fezile Hlophe blows his whistle,
and as well issues out a red card.
- Fezile Hlophe here in the studio with us.
Fezile, welcome to Sport 10, how are you?
- I'm good, thanks Thomas.
Even though I'm 18 years old,
I've managed to be the first referee to be
recognised by all media papers in South Africa, in magazines,
and I'm the first referee to be live on television
to express the feeling of being a referee.
- 2016, broke into all the newspapers!
Youngest referee to referee professional football
in South African history! (audience applauding)
- How are the girls chasing you?
They like you?
They throwing themselves at you?
- It was fun but my focus never changed.
Are we ready? Are we ready?
Play!
(shouting in foreign language)
Play, play!
I've been running this team since 2015.
Pass it to him, Sncence.
I wanted to create opportunities for other youngsters
who want to become not only players,
but future referees.
For me, to share that love of soccer, is very important.
No, no, stand up, play!
Look up!
(children cheering)
(thoughtful music)
(birds honking)
I think to be a referee...
you must love and appreciate soccer more than anyone else.
We implement the rules of the game...
we uphold the standard of the match.
I want to implement those rules,
and to lead a game of football.
Whether that's in professional or a lower division...
I love officiating both.
I just want to be a ref.
Are we ready to go now?
(whistle blows)
(easy guitar music)
(whistle blows)
Corner!
If it touches the hand, it's a penalty.
Make sure it doesn't touch the hand.
Just move back a little bit.
(whistle blows)
Leave the hand. Just put the hands up like this.
(whistle blows)
(thoughtful music)
- As girls, growing up, we are used to being told by the men in our family
that our job is just to get married and leave home.
I have come to realise that I can't change that way of thinking...
and anyway, there's no point in living with anger and hate.
I feel it's better to spread love.
If you spread love then maybe people will love you back.
(music turns uplifting)
(girls shouting)
I never felt I could be a football player.
I never imagined I'd be able play in local competitions.
I just want to be able to play football until my dying breath.
- [Coach] While we're against the boards,
you're holding the ball inside me
and I'm against the boards,
that's where your axles startin' to chin.
Because if I get a touch and don't control it,
I'm knocking into a man gone.
You're running towards your last man,
and your last defender, everyone's panicking,
you don't want to be there.
- [Roy] This game against Costa Rica today,
it's incredibly important for us,
cus if we don't win,
then we might not make it through the group.
- So, techniques, let's think about some of the things
we've been working on over last year.
Anyone want to throw some stuff out at me?
- Breakline passing? - Breakline passing.
- Gettin' away from,
gettin' away from the boards and player a pass.
- Yeah, gettin' away (Roy and Coach talking over each other),
yeah.
- [Roy] I think I've always been somebody who
can express themselves best in what they do.
And when I got the chance to play competitively,
I just felt like, like I'd been freed.
(Announcer speaking foreign language)
(crowd applauding)
(Roy's parents cheering)
(whistle blows)
(thoughtful piano music)
(ball rattling)
(whistle blows)
(players shouting)
(whistle blows)
(ball rattling)
- [Roy] When I'm on the pitch,
I'm able to express who I am.
(crowd cheering)
(Announcer speaking foreign language)
I think football is a language in itself.
It crosses all barriers.
We see football played by so many different people
from so many different backgrounds.
In streets,
in fields, in parks.
(chuckling) You can play football anywhere!
(whistle blows)
When I get the ball at my feet,
I feel... absolute love.
(dramatic music)
(whooshing)
(suspenseful jingle)