Rico Lewis hosts football tournament to tackle homelessness in Manchester

Manchester City midfielder Rico Lewis has opened up about how his Christian faith has influenced his perspective on life and deepened his concern for the suffering of others. The midfielder, who recently announced his marriage, stated that his beliefs have made him more conscious of the struggles faced by people in his home city, particularly homelessness.

To address this, Lewis teamed up with local rapper Nemzzz to host a charity seven-a-side tournament on 28 June at Manchester's National Speedway Stadium. The event attracted several high-profile names, including Phil Foden, Southampton's Shea Charles, and various academy talents from both Manchester City and Manchester United.

Context: A report by homelessness charity Shelter published in December revealed that Manchester has nearly 10,000 people living in temporary accommodation, highlighting the scale of the crisis in the region.

I want to do this every year, upscale it and make the donations bigger. You can't change things overnight, but you can change it over years. Rico Lewis

The inaugural tournament was deemed a success by participants and organizers alike. Lewis expressed his desire for the event to become an annual tradition, focusing on uniting the community and raising significant funds to help those in need across Manchester.