Festival 26 Showcases Soccer’s Power to Unite Young People from Around the World

BOSTON, MA — More than 400 young people from over 15 countries gathered at The TRACK at New Balance on Sunday for the closing ceremony of Festival 26, bringing nine days of soccer, cultural exchange, and leadership development to a close alongside the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Hosted by Boston SCORES in partnership with Sport dans la Ville and New Balance, Festival 26 highlighted how soccer can create opportunities far beyond the game itself. While championship matches crowned winners on the final day, organizers measured the event’s success through the friendships formed, cultures shared, and experiences participants will carry home.

For Boston SCORES Board Co-Chair Chris Pike, Festival 26 embodied the organization’s mission of using soccer to strengthen communities and help young people grow both on and off the field.

“Boston SCORES is an after-school program that serves kids and families in Boston Public Schools,” Pike said. “Our mission is to use soccer to help students become more engaged in school, strengthen their connection to their communities, and provide them with a place to play the game.”

Since its founding around 2000, Boston SCORES has expanded from serving a handful of elementary schools to reaching approximately 2,000 young people annually through elementary, middle school, and community programming. Pike said the organization’s goal remains ensuring every child has the opportunity to play regardless of financial circumstances.

That philosophy was evident throughout Festival 26, particularly through Football3, a format that rewards communication, respect, and collaboration alongside competition. Before each match, players agree on the rules together before reflecting afterward on how they treated one another during the game.

“It’s about much more than the goals they score,” Pike said. “It’s about how they play, how they communicate, how they treat one another, and the respect they show each other throughout the game.”

Festival 26 Co-Director Audrey Cavaness spent nearly a year coordinating travel and logistics for the international delegations, helping ensure hundreds of young people from around the world could make the journey to Boston.

After spending the week alongside participants from around the world, Cavaness said the friendships formed became the tournament’s greatest success.

“I hope the participants leave having formed new friendships and met people they never would have met without Festival 26,” Cavaness said. “What makes this event so unique is its ability to create connections across continents and cultures.”

While trophies were awarded on the final day, Cavaness said the real victories came away from the scoreboard.

“I’ve spent the entire week witnessing the impact Festival 26 has had, and for me, the biggest measure of its success has simply been the smiles on everyone’s faces,” she said. “It’s been amazing to see how proud everyone is of where they come from and how eager they are to share their heritage and culture with one another.”

Cavaness credited Boston SCORES, Sport dans la Ville, New Balance, and dozens of partners for turning nearly a year of planning into a successful international event.

“We welcomed more than 400 young people from more than 15 countries, and as you can imagine, coordinating something like that is a significant logistical challenge,” Cavaness said. “The support we’ve received from our sponsors and partners has been absolutely instrumental in making Festival 26 a success.”

Beyond this year’s event, Cavaness believes Festival 26 has helped create lasting relationships not only between participants, but also between organizations committed to using sport as a tool for positive change.

“We had participating organizations come from all over the world,” she said. “Festival 26 has helped strengthen that network and brought together organizations committed to using football to support youth development and create positive change.”

While the FIFA World Cup provided the backdrop for Festival 26, Cavaness hopes the event’s impact will extend well beyond the tournament.

“We hope it creates a larger, lasting community,” she said. “The Festival 26 community will live on through the memories, friendships, and connections the participants take home with them. Those relationships can last a lifetime, and in that sense, Festival 26 will continue long after this week ends.”

English football creator Eman Balogun, better known as SV2, attended the closing ceremony and said inspiring young people has become one of the most rewarding parts of his career.

“Supporting Boston SCORES and Festival 26 is really special to me,” Balogun said. “Being able to shine a light on kids from different countries and backgrounds is something I’m passionate about.”

Balogun said football has shaped nearly every aspect of his life, not only through his playing career and online content, but also through the relationships it has created.

“Football has always brought people together,” Balogun said. “It’s helped me meet incredible people, build friendships, and connect with others who share the same passion.”

He also encouraged participants to enjoy every opportunity they have to play, emphasizing that the lessons learned through sport often extend far beyond the field.

“My advice is simple: keep playing for as long as you can,” Balogun said. “Football—and sports in general—is something everyone should try to enjoy for as long as possible because that’s where you make some of your best memories.”

According to Balogun, teamwork and discipline remain two of football’s greatest lessons for young athletes.

“If you’re not disciplined, your team can suffer,” he said. “So, I’d definitely say teamwork and discipline. Those are the two biggest things football teaches you.”

Meeting young supporters at events like Festival 26 has also given Balogun a new appreciation for the influence his platform carries.

“When we first started making videos, we weren’t trying to inspire anyone,” he said. “Then some of our videos went viral, and we realized we had a platform. When you go out into the real world and meet people, you realize you’re actually having an impact.”

“Seeing that you’ve inspired people and made a difference in their lives is an incredible feeling. It’s definitely a blessing.”

Festival 26 Co-Director of Corporate Partnerships Johanna Okoshi said the tournament reflected the same mission Boston SCORES has pursued for more than two decades.

“We provide soccer and poetry programming to thousands of young people across the Boston area, and I believe deeply in the power of sport,” Okoshi said. “Sport has a unique ability to unite people. It gives them a way to communicate, form relationships, and come together around a shared experience.”

Okoshi, who has spent the past decade in a variety of roles with Boston SCORES, also reflected on New Balance’s longstanding support of the organization. She played an integral role in the capital campaign that helped build the New Balance Field in East Boston, calling it one of the proudest moments of her life.

“My husband and I had the privilege of presenting a $1 million check from New Balance to complete the capital campaign,” Okoshi said. “Watching the field become a reality was incredibly rewarding.”

Okoshi said that partnership has continued to evolve, culminating with New Balance hosting Festival 26’s closing ceremonies at The TRACK.

“As I mentioned, New Balance has been an incredible partner from the very beginning,” Okoshi said. “This is a state-of-the-art facility, and having the opportunity to play here, celebrate together, and enjoy today’s events is something truly special.”

Pike echoed those sentiments, crediting both New Balance and Sport dans la Ville for helping transform Festival 26 from an ambitious vision into a global celebration of football and community.

As Festival 26 came to a close, the medals presented on Sunday represented only a small part of what had been accomplished over nine days in Boston. More than 300 young people from over 15 countries returned home carrying far more than tournament results. They left with friendships that crossed continents, a deeper appreciation for cultures different from their own, and lessons in teamwork, leadership, and respect that organizers hope will last a lifetime.

While the 2026 FIFA World Cup provided the backdrop, Festival 26 demonstrated that football’s greatest legacy is often measured not by the matches played inside the world’s biggest stadiums, but by the lives changed on community fields where the game brings people together. Long after the final whistles sounded at The TRACK at New Balance, the connections formed during the week will continue to serve as a reminder of sport’s unique ability to unite people across borders, languages, and backgrounds.

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