The Mexican went from being homeless and in dire straits financially to being a professional footballer

The catalyst for change was the Homeless World Cup of 2015

She tells her story and reveals her latest personal and professional goals

If four years ago you had told Lizbeth Angeles that she would end up making a living from football, she would undoubtedly have laughed at you. At that time, she was 24-years-old and there was not even a professional women's league in Mexico.

But life is full of twists and turns and, in the intervening years, she not only made her dream come true, but became an example and inspiration for other young women, who now believe that they too can achieve their goals. FIFA.com spoke about all this and more in an exclusive chat with the Pachuca forward.

Football, a loyal companion

Liz, as she is affectionately known, fell in love with football as a small girl growing up in southern Mexico City. As she got older, football became the pastime that helped her navigate some of the most difficult moments in her life. As a young adolescent, some friends invited her to participate in a tournament called De la calle a la cancha (From the street to the pitch), which was when everything – her life, her goals, her work – began to change.

A host of women in challenging and adverse economic situations from all over Mexico competed for one of the seven places on the national team that would take part in the Homeless World Cup Amsterdam 2015.

"I started at municipal level and then represented the State of Mexico at the national tournament. We ended up as champions, and there, in front of everyone who’d gone to see the game, they chose the seven best players. That's when I heard my name."

She travelled to Europe and wore the captain’s armband as her team became champions. "It’s hard to explain how much that World Cup meant: being able to represent your national team against so many countries is something unique. But winning it and hearing the Mexican national anthem was simply the best."