A group of youth athletes in Long Beach got the surprise of their lives on Monday when they learned they’d be going to a FIFA World Cup match at SoFi Stadium, which will be known as Los Angeles Stadium during the tournament.
More than 20 children who are part of the Boys and Girls Club in Long Beach thought they were showing up for another soccer practice when instead, they were greeted with cameras and a guest speaker.
The children listened intently as Francisco Leon, president and CEO of California Resources Corporation (CRC) announced the surprise. The announcement was met with cheers from the excited group of kids who are World Cup-bound.
“When people started talking and like ‘This was going to be a surprise,’ I was like, ‘There’s no way,’” one of the young ticketholders said.
According to Leon, CRC donated 25 tickets to the Iran vs. New Zealand FIFA World Cup match to the Long Beach organization. The group of children who were gifted the tickets were selected because of their good work in school and in their community.
“They’re great examples for other kids, so we really wanted to give them something special,” Leon said.
Iran and New Zealand are slated to face off in Inglewood on June 15.