More Than a World Cup Moment

1738 young people from underserved communities to step onto soccer’s biggest stage at FIFA World Cup 26 through Quaker Oats and Common Goal 

1738 young people from underserved communities across the United States and Canada, the FIFA World Cup 26 will not just be something they watch on television. Through Quaker and Common Goal, they will step onto the pitch as part of the FIFA World Cup 26 Player Escort Program — a once-in-a-lifetime experience on the biggest stage in soccer. 

Across 79 matches hosted in the United States and Canada, young people from 32 soccer for good community organizations in the U.S and Canada SCORES in Canada will walk players onto the field before kick-off, representing the communities, vision, and potential that exist far beyond the spotlight of the game. 

"FIFA World Cup is one of the most universal moments in global sport, bringing people together in a way few things can, and that's the same powerful connection we see around the breakfast table every day," said Tina Mahal, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Quaker Foods. "At a moment when millions of fans are inspired and energized, we wanted to be part of a bigger conversation—providing resources around daily nutrition for families and communities and inspiring the next generation with moments both on and off the field."   

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/c27367_6b99aee3cfc2461c9ca14662b2dba93b/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

In the United States, 1452 young people were selected through one of Common Goal’s 32 local community partners across all 11 FIFA World Cup host cities. To be eligible, participants not only met the tournament’s requirements, but also completed more than eight hours of educational programming focused on nutrition and wellbeing.  

Through the creation and delivery of more than 40,000 hours of educational programming focused on nutrition fundamentals, hydration, and family and coach engagement, the initiative is directly supporting more than 4,000 young people from underserved communities and their families to build habits, confidence, and support systems designed to last well beyond the tournament. 

In Canada, Quaker Canada has partnered with Common Goal and Canada SCORES to identify 286 young people from under-resourced communities across Greater Toronto and Metro Vancouver to take part in the Player Escort Program across 13 matches. 

“For 30 years across North America, and more than a decade in Canada, Canada SCORES has empowered young people to lead healthy lives, be engaged students, and have the confidence to make a difference,” said Nick Taylor, National Executive Director at Canada SCORES. “This partnership with Quaker Canada and Common Goal is an extension of our mission of using soccer as a platform to create opportunity and inspire potential in young people who deserve to see themselves on the world's biggest stage.”

As part of the Canada partnership, Quaker Canada is also making a $50,000 USD grant commitment to support Canada SCORES programming across host cities Toronto and Vancouver. The grant will help power consistent nutrition, transportation, and expanded programming hours for young people, including expanded access to healthy snacks and nutrition support in Toronto programs, transportation support for Spring and Fall programming in both Toronto and Vancouver, and a 50% increase in programming hours across up to ten school sites in Vancouver. 

Together, this experience is designed to not only create unforgettable memories, but to ensure that there is lasting support surrounding the participating young people well beyond the tournament.  

“For many of these young people, this will be far more than a walk onto the pitch. It is a moment of recognition, belonging, and possibility on the biggest stage in football,” said Mary Connor, Common Goal CEO. “Through this partnership with Quaker, we are connecting the FIFA World Cup back to the communities that give the game its meaning every day, while fostering a love of the game and strengthening support systems that can have a lasting impact far beyond the tournament.” 

For Common Goal, the initiative also reflects a long-standing belief that soccer’s biggest tournaments should create meaningful opportunities far beyond the final whistle. 

Since 2002, Common Goal has worked to connect major moments in soccer back to the communities that shape the game every day. From the first streetfootballworld Festival during the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany to community-led activations around tournaments across the globe, creating social legacy alongside soccer spectacle has been a core part of the organization’s history. 

This partnership with Quaker continues that journey at the FIFA World Cup 26. By connecting matches across the United States and Canada to young people and grassroots organizations already driving change in their communities, the initiative helps ensure the tournament leaves behind more than memories. It creates visibility, recognition, access, and long-term investment in the people and organizations using soccer as a force for opportunity and belonging every day. 

The scale of the FIFA World Cup 26 is unprecedented. For Common Goal, the opportunity is not only to bring young people closer to the tournament, but to bring the tournament itself closer to community.