44 FCC CHILDREN TOOK THE STAGE AT THE FIFA WORLD CUP!

Through the Quaker Player Escort Program in partnership with Common Goal, 44 FCC USA participants walked onto the field before the Portugal vs. Colombia and Argentina vs. Cape Verde matches, creating memories that will last a lifetime.

Dreams became reality last week for 44 children from Futbol con Corazon (FCC) USA, who stepped onto the world’s biggest football stage as official Quaker Player Escorts during two FIFA World Cup 2026 matches: Portugal vs. Colombia and Argentina vs. Cape Verde in Miami.

Selected through the Quaker Player Escort Program, delivered in partnership with Common Goal, these young participants experienced something few children in the world ever will: walking hand in hand with the players they have admired their entire lives before millions of fans around the globe.

For FCC USA, this marks one of the most significant milestones in the organization’s history.

But behind every photograph and every smile was a much deeper story.

These were not simply 44 children invited to a football match. They were young people who have spent months, and in some cases years, growing through FCC USA’s structured soccer-based youth development program, building confidence, resilience, leadership, and life skills that extend far beyond the field.


These kids also came from FCC’s sites in Little Havana, West Miami, and Allapattah, bringing the vibrant energy of these sites to the stadium.

For Axel, who has been part of FCC USA for four years, the dream reached its highest point when he walked beside Cristiano Ronaldo.

“I never imagined something like this could happen to me.”

For Sophia, walking alongside Lionel Messi became a memory she will treasure for the rest of her life.

And for Daniel, emotions took over. Fighting back tears, he looked at Messi and quietly said,

“You’re my hero.”

For many of these children, it was their first time inside a World Cup stadium.

For all of them, it was the first time believing that a stage this big could belong to them too.

This extraordinary opportunity was made possible through the Quaker Player Escort Program, an initiative by Quaker in partnership with Common Goal, bringing children from communities around the world onto football’s biggest stage while celebrating the power of sport to inspire confidence, belonging, and opportunity.

At FCC USA, moments like these are never just about football.

They are the result of years of mentorship, caring coaches, dedicated families, and partners who believe every child deserves access to life-changing opportunities.

We extend our deepest gratitude to Quaker, Common Goal, the FIFA World Cup 2026 Miami Host Committee, every FCC coach, every family who trusted us with their children, and every supporter who made this unforgettable experience possible.


44 children didn’t just walk onto a World Cup field. They walked into a future where they know anything is possible.