Amputee football fosters hope and belonging in Rwanda, uniting players who overcome stigma and trauma through the sport.

Football players from Rwanda’s national amputee team train on a pitch in Kigali, using forearm crutches as they prepare for international competition. [Brian Inganga/AP Photo]

The players struck their crutches against each other as they chase a football, as well as a larger dream of competing at the global level. Children shriek with joy as they watch a goalkeeper dive to block an attempt with her remaining hand.

Amputee football, a seven-a-side version of the game in which players roam the field on crutches and goalkeepers have one arm, has grown steadily in Rwanda over the past decade.…