Dribbling past barriers, girls’ football team to step onto international stage

At 4.30 a.m., when the city is still asleep, 17-year-old V. Pavithra and her team start their football practice on the MPT ground in Tondiarpet. After school, the practice resumes. This long-standing routine has, at long last, opened doors for them to represent India in Mexico.

This girls’ football team, comprising members from underprivileged backgrounds in the city, will be participating in the Street Child Football World Cup 2026, scheduled to be held from May 5 to 15 in Mexico City.