Two Kiwi kids received a dream call this week when the winners of the McDonald’s player escort competition were announced by New Zealand Football.  

Isabel Bristow, 9, will travel with her father Grant (Petone FC, Capital Football Federation) and Sophie Heywood, 8, will travel with her mother Rebecca (Central Hawkes Bay Junior FC, Central Football Federation) to the 2018 FIFA World Cup™ in Russia.

The two player escort packages offer the children a unique opportunity to walk the players onto the pitch at the Brazil vs Costa Rica match in St Petersburg, Russia.

“This will be the trip of a lifetime,” Grant Bristow says.

“Isabel and I couldn’t believe it when we got the call from New Zealand Football and it is all we have talked about since. We can’t wait to board the plane for Russia. A huge thanks to McDonald’s and New Zealand Football for this opportunity.”

Rebecca Heywood says it was a similar response in the family household in Waipukurau with her and Sophie jumping around the living room.

“Following in both her grandfathers’ footsteps, Sophie is an avid football fan,” Rebecca says.

“She loves everything about sport, and football in particular, so this is the ultimate experience for her. Walking out to a full stadium in St Petersburg with legends of the game is something she will never forget.”

The two lucky winners and their guardians will be flown from New Zealand to St Petersburg and will then enjoy all the perks of the exclusive McDonald’s player escort package.

The package includes the following: three nights’ accommodation (June 21 – 24), a money-can’t-buy player escort experience at the Brazil vs Costa Rica 2018 FIFA World Cup™ match, two tickets for the Brazil vs Costa Rica match, airport meet and greet service and all ground transportation, all meals throughout the stay, player escort skills masterclass, family activities in Russia, guardian match day activity and sightseeing, and player escort uniforms and merchandise.

Simon Kenny, Head of Communications at McDonald’s New Zealand, says it is a huge thrill to send two Kiwi kids to the biggest sports event in the world.

“Well done to Isabel and Sophie on being selected from the significant number of entries we had for this competition and thanks to everyone for their wonderful entries,” Kenny says.

“Walking out onto the pitch at the 2018 FIFA World Cup™ is the ultimate experience for a young football fan and I am sure they are going to form lifelong memories of their time in Russia.”

McDonald’s have been supporting junior football in New Zealand for nearly 20 years and the player escort competition is one of the many activities they run with New Zealand Football. Over 50,000 kids are in action each weekend at the moment as the junior football season kicks off around the country.

A similar competition was run for the 2014 edition of the world’s biggest football tournament with Will Richardson from Auckland earning the chance to walk out with the Argentina team in the final against Germany in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Owain Prosser, Junior Football Development Manager for New Zealand Football, says it is initiatives like the player escort competition which can make a massive difference to junior football in this country and that the lucky pair are in for a treat.

“The chance to meet Brazilian legends such as Neymar, Philippe Coutinho and Ederson and experience the global game on the biggest stage will provide lasting memories,” he says.

“It is yet another example of how McDonald's aims to reward all that take part in junior football in New Zealand, helping us attract more children to sport and raise standards of provision.”