A group of young athletes in Long Beach were surprised with tickets to a FIFA World Cup match at SoFi Stadium. The children, who are part of the Boys and Girls Club in Long Beach, thought they were attending another soccer practice but were instead greeted with cameras and a guest speaker.

Surprise Announcement

Francisco Leon, president and CEO of California Resources Corporation (CRC), announced the surprise, which was met with cheers from the excited group of kids. The 25 tickets to the Iran vs. New Zealand FIFA World Cup match were donated by CRC to the Long Beach organization. The group of children who received the tickets were selected because of their good work in school and in their community.

According to Leon, the children are great examples for other kids, and CRC wanted to give them something special. The Iran and New Zealand teams are set to face off in Inglewood on June 15.

Original reporting: NBC4 Los Angeles — read the source article.