‘Mbappé gave me a hug:’ These two soccer hopefuls from Kensington got the full World Cup experience
The duo received the opportunity through Safe-Hub, one of four community organizations Quaker Oats partnered with to send children from underprivileged areas to the World Cup.
It’s hard for Cesar Castellanos to dream of a better way to celebrate his 12th birthday.
After celebrating his actual birthday with a few friends last Friday, Castellanos, a student at Juniata Park Academy, traveled to Lincoln Financial Field for Philly’s final World Cup match, the round of 16 game between France and Paraguay.
But Castellanos wasn’t just there to watch.
The soccer-loving middle schooler walked onto the field with the players as a part of FIFA’s player escort program.
Castellanos is a regular participant at Safe-Hub Philadelphia, a soccer-centric nonprofit that opened a campus in the Harrowgate section of Kensington in 2022.
Safe-Hub is one of four community organizations Quaker Oats partnered with in Philadelphia to send children from underprivileged areas to World Cup matches. Safe-Hub hosted two nutritional clinics for its participants, and children who attended both were given a chance to be selected as player escorts.
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Castellanos attended both sessions, one on Martin Luther King Day and the other on Presidents’ Day. A few months later, he found out he had been selected for the round of 16 match on July 4.
“I was really going crazy when I realized I got the chance,” Castellanos said before the match.
Castellanos has played soccer at Safe-Hub for almost three years, starting in early elementary school. The aspiring midfielder follows international soccer closely and intends to continue playing through high school and beyond.
As such, Castellanos was elated at the opportunity to be up close and personal with some of the game’s best players. After the tournament’s group stage, when it became clear that a star-studded French team could advance to the round of 16 match in Philadelphia, he began rooting hard for Les Bleus to return.
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He got his wish, with France meeting Paraguay for a matchup at the Linc on July 4. Castellanos did not know which team he would be paired with beforehand, though he hoped for one of France’s international superstars. As a native Spanish speaker, he could handle walking out with the Paraguayans, but he started learning some basic French, just in case.
Sure enough, once he got into the tunnel before the match, Castellanos got paired with Ousmane Dembélé. Aside from being a star player for France, Dembélé is a forward for France’s biggest club team, Paris Saint-Germain, and the reigning winner of the Ballon d’Or, an award given to the top player worldwide.
Castellanos couldn’t contain his excitement. He started to cry tears of joy, which led to some extra affection from the French side.
“I had to keep my cool,” Castellanos said. “I couldn’t go crazy. But I was so excited … I was crying. Mbappé gave me a hug. Dembélé gave me a hug.”
Castellanos was not the only Safe-Hub participant on the field for the match. Isaac Oquendo was a flag bearer for the match, holding Paraguay’s flag on the pitch as the national anthems of each country played inside the stadium.
Oquendo, 16, is a student at Roman Catholic and has been playing soccer at Safe-Hub for a year. Oquendo is part of the nonprofit’s PlayMakers program, which offers higher-intensity soccer training as well as off-field life skill workshops. As part of the program, Oquendo traveled to Boston for Festival 26, a youth soccer summit featuring delegations from across the world.
Oquendo said the opportunity to get on the pitch with the players was an “amazing experience.”
“I had a lot of fun,” Oquendo said. “It was great being with people who love the sport as much as I do, and seeing the players right behind me.”
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Oquendo said he received a brief lesson from World Cup organizers on how to hold the flag and where to stand on the field before he walked out. After the pre-match festivities ended, both Castellanos and Oquendo got to watch France’s win over Paraguay from the 100-level.
“It was nerve-wracking,” Oquendo said. “It was a great experience, but it’s so nerve-wracking, going on the field and seeing the players walk past you. It was something else.”
In this World Cup, underdogs have stolen the spotlight, the U.S. men made a notable run and Philadelphia not only welcomed the world but gave visitors a crash course on just how real the curse of the Rocky Statue can be.
Join Jonathan Tannenwald, the Inquirer's soccer writer, and host Lisa Carlin, analyst for CBS Sports Golazo, as they dissect the matches, the moments, and more as Philly has its moment in soccer's brightest spotlight. Watch our latest episode right here.
Watch previous episodes:
Episode 1: The Wait is Over!
Episode 2: Groups, Goals, and Glory
Episode 3: Electric Action in Philly
Episode 4: The Knockout Rounds Begin!