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9-year-old soccer fan surprised with World Cup tickets
A nine-year-old boy from Delaware County who broke his arm and needed surgery was surprised with tickets to the July 4 World Cup match between France and Paraguay at Philadelphia Stadium, according to Philadelphia Soccer 2026.
PHILADELPHIA - A nine-year-old boy from Delaware County who broke his arm and needed surgery was surprised with tickets to the July 4 World Cup match between France and Paraguay at Philadelphia Stadium, according to Philadelphia Soccer 2026.
What we know:
Ben Snyder, his brothers Will and Charlie, and his parents were given tickets to the July 4 World Cup match at Philadelphia Stadium. The tickets came as a surprise during Fan Fest, where Ben thought he was just getting a VIP experience.
"Very excited. I've never been to a World Cup game before," said Ben. His mom Carrie had emailed Philadelphia Soccer 2026 hoping for a care package for Ben, who had to miss summer soccer camps after breaking his arm in June.
"He's been a lifetime fan. He has a board at home of all the brackets. He keeps track of everything, so this is a big deal for our family. Never in a million years did we expect tickets," said Carrie.
Ben had planned to spend the summer at soccer camps, and watching the World Cup became a big part of his recovery.
How the surprise came together
The backstory:
Meg Kane of Philadelphia Soccer 2026 said, "It was just so sweet the way she said is there anything you can do. The only thing that really keeps him motivated right now is he can watch soccer basically every minute of every day."
Ben’s dad, who helped plan the surprise, said, "He's been into the tournament. He knows every single winner of every World Cup dating back to 1930." Carrie added, "Just for him to have some light this summer has been amazing."
"I think it's going to be crazy because it's July 4th and France is playing. France verses Paraguay What's your prediction. I think France is going to beat them by a lot," said Ben.
Philadelphia Soccer 2026 asked for just one thing in return. Kane said, "For Ben and his family, I said to them, the only thing I ask s you send us a photo and let us see how much joy and happiness that July 4th brings."
The family is looking forward to the match as a highlight of their summer.
What we don't know:
It is not clear if Ben will be able to return to playing soccer later this summer or if any other surprises are planned for the family.
The Source: Information from Philadelphia Soccer 2026 and interviews with the Snyder family.