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For many young soccer players, walking onto the field at the FIFA World Cup is nothing more than a dream.
That dream became reality for 8-year-old Kansas City native Enoch McCleery.
Just moments before Argentina’s World Cup match against Algeria at Kansas City Stadium, McCleery walked onto the field hand in hand with Argentine captain Lionel Messi — creating a memory he said he will never forget.
“I felt very nervous and thrilled at the same time,” McCleery said.
The opportunity came as part of FIFA’s player escort program, which gives children the chance to accompany players onto the field before kickoff.
After flipping a coin to determine which team they would join, McCleery ended up with Argentina and quickly made his way to the front of the line alongside Messi.
“So we flipped a coin to see what team we would walk out with, and then I ran to the front of the line since the captain goes first,” McCleery said.
With nearly 70,000 fans filling the stadium and cheering around him, the moment was overwhelming.
“I felt nervous because all I heard was yelling, but it was cool,” McCleery said.
McCleery’s uncle, Gerardo Flores, watched from home as his nephew shared the field with one of soccer’s biggest stars.
“It caught me off guard honestly,” Flores said. “I was like, ‘No way,’ and then with this guy — it was so cool to watch him.”
The unforgettable walkout was followed by an unforgettable performance. Messi led Argentina to victory, scoring the first FIFA World Cup hat trick of his career.
“It was amazing,” Flores said. “This guy, he’s unbelievable, breaking records. In a way, we kind of touched that through my nephew.”
What makes the story even more remarkable is that it is not the family’s first memorable encounter with Messi.
Two years ago, when Messi visited Kansas City with Inter Miami for a match against Sporting Kansas City, McCleery’s older brother, 14-year-old Dillon Duenaz, made headlines after running onto the field and taking a selfie with the soccer icon before security escorted him away.
“I’ve always been a fan of Messi, since I was born and growing up,” Duenaz said. “I had the opportunity to go watch him, and then I had seen a bunch of kids that had taken pictures with him who had run on the field, so I thought I could also take my chance.”
After snapping the photo, Duenaz said the interaction ended quickly.
“After I had taken the picture, they said, ‘He can go now,’” Duenaz said.
From a viral selfie to the World Cup spotlight, the family now has two extraordinary Messi memories that will be passed down for generations.
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