Rico Lewis reflects on charity tournament to fight homelessness in Manchester – Phil Foden, Shea Charles and more involved | OneFootball

In Manchester, approximately one in 61 people experience homelessness, but Manchester City defender Rico Lewis is doing his bit to help the “best city in the world”.

Lewis, 21, set up the campaign to combat some of the highest rates of homelessness in the United Kingdom, where, according to support charity Shelter, 10,000 people in Manchester do not have permanent housing. 

The defender, alongside popular Manchester-based rapper Nemzzz, organised a football tournament to help raise money for charities that support and prevent vagrancy across one of England’s greatest cities.

His City teammate Phil Foden led out a team who were full of world-class talent and despite being knocked out in the semi-finals, the event was deemed a huge success, with hopes of it becoming an annual kick-about. 

“We live in a world that feels like there is more negativity than positivity and there’s so much positivity I want to give back,” Lewis said in an interview with BBC Sport.

“Manchester is the best city in the world and it means a lot to me to be able to do things that can help this city. You can’t change things overnight, but you can change it over years, and ideally I want to do this every year, upscale it and make the donations bigger.”

Alongside Foden, who, like Lewis, missed out on a call to Thomas Tuchel’s 2026 FIFA World Cup squad, Southampton midfielder Shea Charles, his brother Pierce – both of whom are products of the City Academy – and Shea Lacey from Manchester United all joined in on the event on June 28. 

Kaden Braithwaite, having captained City’s U18s to an FA Youth Cup triumph last season, was also present. Lewis’s younger sister Sacha, a promising defender in the club’s women’s setup, undertook a role in helping with the event and played in the games as well. 

When reflecting on his decision to turn to Christianity, Lewis, who married his partner Amelia earlier this month, added: “Since I’ve become a man of faith, I’ve become more conscious of people’s suffering.

“I walk through Manchester, realising how many people are struggling with homelessness. It’s impossible to know why each person is in the situation they’re in, but I’ve always wanted to help those who are helpless.

“Uniting people in Manchester and raising awareness as well as raising money felt the best way to accomplish our goal.”

Lewis joined City at the age of eight and, despite his struggles last season, has grown on and off the pitch as a person and professional, now hoping to keep his place as the club prepares for a new era under Enzo Maresca.