Scott Brown and Colin Farrell launch Homeless World Cup 17

Scottish star Brown has joined actor Colin Farrell to launch this year’s Homeless World Cup in Norway.

The competition, organised by an Edinburgh-based Homeless World Cup Foundation, is expected to see 100,000 fans watch the games in Oslo.

The tournament is also expected to be watched by three million people online.

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A record 72 teams from 54 countries, including Scotland, will compete in the eight-day event.

The competition kicks off in Radhusplassen city square on 29 August.

Last year’s tournament was held in Glasgow and is believed to have generated £10million for people getting off the street and into employment.

Scott Brown, who also captains Celtic, said: “The Homeless World Cup transforms lives through football. With your support it can help even more people all over the world.”

True Detective star Farrell added: “On any given day the best a homeless person can expect from society a lot of the time is pity.

“The Homeless World Cup is not about pity, it’s not about shame, it’s not about your head being down.

“The Homeless World Cup is about your head being up, it’s about no apologies and, at the end of the day, it is about coming together through competition.”

The tournament is now in its 15th year.

This year it will involve 570 homeless men and women.

Chief executive of the Homeless World Cup Foundation Ryan Mackie said: “This year’s Homeless World Cup is set to be the biggest and most ambitious yet and will be broadcast around the world to more than three million people.”

For more information visit www.homelessworldcup.org