Two Manitoba teen soccer players named FIFA World Cup match ball carriers

Most young soccer players dream of stepping onto a FIFA World Cup pitch.

And while young Manitobans Cristiano Morais and Aiden Karacsony won’t be suiting up for their country just yet, they will have a front-row view of the world’s biggest sporting event this summer.

After years of training and competing, the two 13-year-olds earned the opportunity of a lifetime: becoming FIFA World Cup official match ball carriers.

Getting there meant beating out some of the country’s top young talent.

“The tryout was 150 kids in Edmonton trying out and they had five spots,” explained Anderson Pereira, a futsal coach with Pioneers FC. “Four of our players got selected from Manitoba, which says a lot about our level of competition here.”

That success continued at a national selection camp in Toronto, where only seven players across Canada were chosen. The pair then represented Canada at an international tournament in Los Angeles, competing against teams from countries including Spain, Brazil and South Korea.

“When you hear your name, it’s always the best feeling. Can’t explain it,” Aiden said.

“Oh man, it’s indescribable,” added Cristiano. “I’m like, no way this actually happened. I’m going to be a World Cup ball carrier.”

Now, their reward is a place on soccer’s biggest stage. Cristiano already knows he’ll carry the match ball onto the field for a group-stage match between Ghana and Panama in Toronto.

“Many people have said that’s not the best game, but there’s lots of quality players who play on both teams that I’m really excited to watch,” he said.

Aiden will head to Vancouver for a Round of 32 match. And while he still doesn’t know which teams he’ll see, he certainly hopes one of them is Team Canada.

“It’d be really unique seeing Canada make it out of the group stage for the first time,” the teen said. “It’d be something everyone would hear and watch.”

For both players, this opportunity is about much more than one match: it’s another step toward an even bigger dream.

“My mom’s from Poland and my dad’s Hungarian, so maybe play for one of those teams, play in Europe would be one of my biggest dreams,” Aiden said.

“Right now, I am on the Canada national futsal team, but this is only the start,” said Cristiano. “I want to keep growing and get better, so hopefully I get to play a higher level some day.”

For the families who have spent years driving to practices, tournaments and tryouts, the recognition is just as rewarding.

“I can visualize being in the stands recording Aiden carrying the ball, but until I’m there and I hear the roaring fans and just seeing and experiencing it firsthand, I don’t think it’ll set in until then,” said Terence Karacsony, Aiden’s father.