The World Cup is coming to Qatar in 2022, and construction is in full swing. In the shadows of the gleaming high rises towering over this wealthy desert nation, 1.6 million migrant workers labor long hours for meager pay to build the infrastructure for the world’s biggest sporting event. In their off hours, a talented few will also get a chance to play in those same stadiums, in a football tournament of their own called the Workers Cup. In this high-energy, inspirational documentary, director Adam Sobel shares the stories of a select group of footballer-laborers who’ve come from a host of developing countries such as Ghana, Kenya, India and Nepal in search of opportunity—only to find the reality to be harshly out of sync with the dream. Both on and off the pitch, they strive to find their places in a world that often treats them as second-class citizens, even as they compete for goals and glory.

In competition for the Schlesinger Award.