The World Cup made its way to the Bayou on Friday night as Chi Alpha, along with Feed One, hosted the ULM World Cup.
Chi Alpha, a religious organization on campus, hosted the event to raise funds for Feed One.
Feed One is a campaign that helps feed more than 177,000 children in 11 different countries.
Other than raising funds, the event as an opportunity to bring the community and students together, according to Tyler Gerfers, the campus director of Chi Alpha.
“The tournament was put on to help raise funds for Feed One while providing an event for ULM and the local community. We raised $250 through this year’s tournament,” Gerfers said.
The tournament had a total of five teams. Teams were organized and registered beforehand. The registration fee was $5 per ULM student and $10 for non-students.
Soccer is the most popular sport in the world. It is also a favorite among the international community at ULM.
“The main reason we participated was because it was a chance to represent our country and compete against soccer players from other nations,” said Atul Gautam a kinesiology senior.
“I think soccer, if not the best, is one of the best sports to connect people through the emotions that the sport brings out.”
Gautam, along with many of his friends, is an avid soccer fan and a player himself. When the opportunity to play in a tournament came he was quick to take it.
Most of the non-ULM students present at the tournament had already met many of their ULM opponents.
Playing soccer in the local parks united many of the students to their friends in the community.
According to Gerfers, the last time an event like this was held the proceeds went to the people affected by Hurricane Harvey.