11-year-old Ben and his family have to move to a nearby town because an open pit will soon swallow their village. Although he is looking forward to life in a big city, Ben is soon bitterly disappointed. His new classmates avoid him, and he does not know how to fit in. And he misses being the football star he was in his hometown. When he meets Tariq, a Syrian refugee, Ben considers him his rival, but they soon discover they have more in common than they thought.