Two New Zealand kids have returned home from Russia buzzing from their experience at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Young player Jonty Burggraaf and young journalist Isla Ganley were selected among 12-year-olds from Australia, American Samoa, Cook Islands, Fiji, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tahiti, Tonga and Vanuatu to attend the biggest sporting event in the world.

They returned to their home countries as Football For Friendship Young Ambassadors after attending the 2018 Gazprom International Children's Social Programme, Football For Friendship (F4F) in Moscow.

Burggraaf and Ganley, from the Tauranga City AFC, joined 12-year-olds from 211 countries to participate in the eight-day event in what was a life-changing event.

“Football is the biggest sport in the world, so many people play it,” said Burggraaf. “We are all on the same planet so if everyone just plays and gets along we can make lots of friends and have a better future.”

Young journalist Ganley added; “It’s really amazing to see all the different countries to come and compete in the F4F programme. I’ve made loads of friends from all over the world. I have a friend called Majesty, Amir and a couple of friends both called Daniel!”

In the lead up to the FIFA World Cup 2018, the sixth Football For Friendship programme was attended by 1500 children and was covered by over 300 international media outlets to spread the values embodied by the beautiful game to the world. Now these kids will bring the values learned at this rapidly growing global social programme to their own countries in the name of friendship.

F4F consisted of training for designated Young Players, masterclasses for designated Young Journalists, the showpiece Football For Friendship World Championship and finished with Football For Friendship International Children’s Forum.

On 12 June, the Football for Friendship World Championship was held at the Sapsan Arena, home of local professional club FC Kazanka Moscow. In total, 32 International Teams of Friendship were formed on the friendship principle, with each team named after rare animals on the verge of extinction to increase the interest of younger generations in preserving the world’s fauna.

Team ‘Chimpanzee’ won the tournament and were presented with the Nine Values Cup, representing the nine values of the programme: friendship, equality, fairness, health, peace, devotion, victory, traditions and honour. Its team comprised of young players from Wales, Kenya, Dominican Republic, Guinea-Bissau, Philippines and Brazil showcasing a feature of the F4F programme with athletes of different nationalities, genders and physical abilities uniting to play as one team.

At the International Football For Friendship Children's Forum, personal endorsements from legendary Spanish goalkeeper, Iker Casillas, and Russian Under 17s manager and former international striker, Aleksandr Kerzhakov, took place.

Russian President, Vladimir Putin, sent his own message, which was read out by the Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs, Olga Golodets.

To cap off the programme, all participants were invited to attend the opening match of the FIFA World Cup 2018™. The delegation of almost 1500 children watched Russia beat Saudi Arabia 5-0 in the tournament opener with some even participating as flag wavers in the opening ceremony, capping off an experience that will live long in the memories of these 12 year-old Football For Friendship Young Ambassadors.

The official Football For Friendship App has been released so that participants can continue to tell the F4F story all year round, showing the commitment organisers have to building a generation of connected, open people.

F4F Global Director, Vladimir Serov, told the children before an opening day crowd at Moscow's Spartak Football Academy: "In one team, playing together there are kids of different nationalities, different genders, different physical abilities.

"I believe together we will be able to help them, our young participants, to find new friends from different countries, to learn how to play together, how to live together ... and I believe they will show people what the world could be without discrimination, without racism, war and violence."

The seventh instalment of the F4F programme will be held in 2019 with details soon to be announced.

Article added: Wednesday 18 July 2018