The students were chosen through a series of free soccer clinics hosted earlier this year at W.W. Samuell High School by Pleasant Grove Soccer & Sports.
DALLAS, Texas — For 11-year-olds Benjamin Torres and Renato Graca Jr., soccer is more than just a game. It’s become an outlet, a passion and now, it’s presented a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
“I love the game because I’ve been playing since I was 3 years old,” Benjamin said.
Benjamin and Renato, who attend Pleasant Grove elementary, are among 38 children who were selected to participate in the FIFA World Cup 26 Player Escort Program this summer in North Texas. The program will allow the students to walk onto the field alongside some of the world’s top soccer players before four World Cup matches.
The students were chosen through a series of free soccer clinics hosted earlier this year at W.W. Samuell High School by Pleasant Grove Soccer & Sports.
Students from eight elementary schools participated in the clinics.
Organizers say students were selected not only for their soccer skills, but also for sportsmanship, attendance, citizenship and involvement in nutrition and wellness programs connected to the clinics.
“This opportunity is like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Renato said. “In the whole world there’s like a billion kids that really don’t get to do this.”
Pleasant Grove Soccer & Sports was one of three Dallas-area nonprofits selected for the FIFA program, alongside Puede Network and Jubilee Park and Community Center.
For many students, the experience still feels surreal.
“I was kind of upset I had to keep it a secret for a while,” Benjamin said.
The children will escort players onto the field during four World Cup matches hosted in North Texas this summer.
“That’s going to be you right there, France, that’s just insane,” one student said while watching videos of past World Cup player escorts.
Steve Davis, director of Pleasant Grove Soccer & Sports, said the opportunity means far more than soccer.
“I think it’s important that this community gets seen,” Davis said.
Davis said opportunities connected to global events like the World Cup are often more accessible to wealthier or well-connected communities.
“I’ve had this opportunity, I’ve been to 5 world cups. To see these kids in this community, that doesn’t really get to get seen a lot, man. it means everything,” Davis said.
The initiative is part of a broader youth program supported by Quaker Oats Company and Common Goal aimed at connecting young people across the country to FIFA World Cup experiences.
Pleasant Grove Soccer & Sports is a nonprofit focused on expanding access to soccer in the underserved Pleasant Grove community through free and low-cost camps, clinics and coaching programs.
For students like Benjamin and Renato, the moment they step onto the field is something they already know they’ll never forget.
“It will be like a dream come true,” Benjamin said.