Watching the World Cup ‘got him out of bed in the morning.’ Now, this 9-year-old is going to a game.
Ben Snyder's summer of soccer was over before it began because of a broken arm. But now his whole family will attend a World Cup game on the Fourth of July.
Jaws dropped and eyes widened on Thursday evening at the FIFA Fan Fest when a 9-year-old’s broken arm secured his family tickets to Saturday’s World Cup game in South Philly.
Ben Snyder, of Villanova, was just trying to go play with his neighbor when, the day before summer break, he fell hopping over a fence and broke his elbow. The injury required surgery and weeks in a cast. Crushed that he had to miss out on soccer camp and a summer full of playing his favorite game, his mother, Carrie Snyder, stepped in.
“I sent a very heartfelt, random email one day after coming home from the hospital with Ben,” Carrie Snyder said. “Unbelievably, it was responded to. Ben loves soccer and FIFA, and watching the World Cup every day was the only thing that really got him out of bed in the morning. We didn’t expect any of this, so for Ben to have some light this summer is really amazing.”
“I’m shocked. I can’t believe it,” Ben Snyder said after being surprised with tickets for Saturday’s game, in which France will face Paraguay at Philadelphia Stadium (aka Lincoln Financial Field). Kickoff is set for 5 p.m. (Fox29).
Snyder said he’s been playing soccer for as long as he can remember. His older brothers, Will, 15, and Charlie, 13, also are soccer players. Their backyard even is outfitted with goals at each end so they can play year-round. Despite being the youngest, the Snyder boys agree that Ben is the biggest soccer fan of them all.
“Because of the broken arm, he’s kind of been glued to the couch,” Will Snyder said. “He’s been watching all the games, and he has a board set up in the family room with a bracket and everything. It’s easy to tell he’s hooked.”
Ben Snyder’s love for the game runs deep. He’s dressed as soccer players for Halloween nearly every year and has become a World Cup enthusiast. He can name every tournament winner dating back to 1930 and correctly identified Uruguay as the inaugural champion. For this World Cup, though, he is hoping the United States pulls through.
“My favorite player is Gio Reyna,” he said. “I think they could definitely become a dominating team. The U.S. is playing really well right now. They did good in the group stage, and I’m proud of how they’ve played so far.”
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That passion and knowledge caught the attention of the team at Philadelphia Soccer, which wanted to provide a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
“We got this really nice note that was just asking if we could help cheer Ben up,” said Meg Kane, host city executive and CEO for Philadelphia Soccer 2026. “I don’t think they ever expected that their brother’s broken arm was going to lead to them going to the FIFA World Cup, but to see Ben’s face light up in such shock and delight is a memory for all of us and, I hope, creates a core memory for their family.”
It will be a long road to recovery, but the family hopes Ben will get his first cast off in a couple of weeks. Until then, the Radnor Soccer Club player will be watching every game. But seeing one live, he said, is an experience he’ll never forget.
“Never in a million years did we expect this,” Carrie Snyder said. “This is a big deal for our family. I think Ben’s in shock.”
Nine nations will compete in five group stage matches this summer, plus two more in a knockout game on July 4. Here’s what you need to know about those countries — and what those fans need to know about Philly. Click here for more.