Nguyen Le Thanh Son, 11, has become one of 22 children from around the world who will serve as a mascot as football players walk onto the pitch for the final match of World Cup 2018 on July 15^th in Moscow, Russia.

The organising board awards the ticket to Nguyen Le Thanh Son (middle). (Photo: cand.com.vn)

It is the first time a Vietnamese child has earned the right to enter the pitch for the World Cup final.

Son, a 5^th grade student at Chu Van An Primary School, won the McDonald’s Player Escort Programme, which is open to all children aged between six and 10.

According to FIFA’s website, the initiative gave almost 1,500 children from all over the world the opportunity to walk on to the pitch hand-in-hand with their footballing idols.

The programme aims to spread passion for football to members of the young generation all over the world.

As planned, Son will leave for Russia on July 12^th and take part in many activities organised by FIFA there.

Son said he is very proud to become the first and only Vietnamese child to win a place on the programme.

“I am a big fan of Argentina and I really hope that I will have chance to hold the hand of the world’s most famous soccer player, Lionel Messi, to walk on to the pitch in the final round”, Son added./.

VNF