Bill Nighy Goes for Gold at the Homeless World Cup in The Beautiful Game Trailer (Exclusive)

The Beautiful Game, a new movie about the real-life Homeless World Cup, is ready for kickoff. 

Bill Nighy and Micheal Ward star in the upcoming sports drama (on Netflix March 29) about the global street football (or soccer) tournament that welcomes homeless athletes from around the world every year. 

PEOPLE has the exclusive first look at the trailer for The Beautiful Game, which counts Colin Farrell among its producers and is made with the support of the Homeless World Cup. 

Nighy, 74, plays Mal, a “manager of England’s homeless football team, taking his players to Rome with the hope of being crowned champions of the Homeless World Cup,” per the movie’s official synopsis. 

“At the last minute he decides to bring with them a talented striker” named Vinny, played by Empire of Light star Ward, 26. The goal scorer “could give them a real chance at winning, but only if he’s ready to let go of his past and become part of the team.”

“This competition brings us all together,” says Nighy in the trailer. “A second chance to be part of a team.”

Ward can be heard giving his fellow footballers an inspiring speech: “If you lose your way, the team will always come and find you.”

“The Beautiful Game is a film about people and the best of humanity,” director Thea Sharrock tells PEOPLE exclusively. “It’s about finding yourself again under the warmth of the Roman sun.”

She adds that the cast, which includes Valeria Golino, Callum Scott Howells, Kit Young and Cristina Rodlo, “is truly international.” The film was shot in both London and Rome. 

“I didn’t know about the Homeless World Cup before reading the [Frank Cottrell-Boyce-written] script, which I still find hard to believe as it’s such a brilliant and inspiring organisation,” says Sharrock. “I’m so happy that we will be able to share it with people through the movie.”

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The Homeless World Cup Foundation, an advocacy org, invites to its annual tournament teams made up of homeless players from dozens of countries around the globe. Its 19th edition will take place in September in Seoul, South Korea.

Nighy, fresh off his Oscar nomination for last year’s Living, was involved with The Beautiful Game before Sharrock signed on, the British director says. “Bill is the best of the best. He is also a football connoisseur, so I enjoy every moment with him.”

She jokes that although “he supports Crystal Palace” and she is a longtime Arsenal fan, “we found mutual respect for one another. He was also one of the few cast members I didn’t need to worry about their skills with a ball.”

Ward, she adds, underwent an intense football regimen to play the role of Vinny. “How he dedicated himself to the training was fantastic. He never gave up.”

Mel Young, president and founder of the Homeless World Cup Foundation, said in a statement in 2021 that the tournament “is our contribution to tackling the homeless problem across the globe but there is so much more to do,” per Deadline.

“We hope that the work we do being told in The Beautiful Game inspires more people to join in and support future Homeless World Cups and together we can all aim to end homelessness forever.”

The Beautiful Game will premiere on Netflix March 29.