2006 press releases

President Bush talks with World Cup Soccer Youth Delegate Imane Sallah, from Morocco, on the White House steps. (White House photo by Paul Morse)

Top Young International Football Players Meet President Bush

Middle- and secondary-school players from 13 countries visit White House

June 29, 2006

Standing on the steps of the White House, 30 young football players from middle and secondary schools around the globe had an opportunity for an experience not shared by most Americans: They met President Bush.

The players were posing on the steps for a photo when Bush came up and put his arms around the shoulders of Gustavo, a midfielder from Bolivia, and asked the group what they were doing.

“It was really great to visit the White House, but an even more unbelievable experience to get to meet and shake the hand of the president of the United States,” said Anna, a top defensive football player from Uzbekistan.

Anna and the other players were photographed with the president, who shook hands and signed autographs. They presented Bush with a team jersey emblazoned with his name and the number 1.

Anna is one of the young athletes from 13 countries who are taking part of the World Cup Sports Initiative, a partnership between the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Soccer Foundation, U.S. Soccer Federation and Major League Soccer (MLS).

During the visit, the young players learned how the game of football is structured and played in the United States including the important roles of women as players, referees and coaches at all levels. They attended games and practices by male and female professional teams in the United States before heading to Nuremberg, Germany, where they attended the FIFA World Cup match between Ghana and the United States.

The boys and girls, aged between 13 and 18, are from Afghanistan, Bahrain, Bolivia, China, Indonesia, Lebanon, Malaysia, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, South Africa, Uganda and Uzbekistan.

Earlier the athletes visited the U.S. Department of State to meet with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Karen Hughes.

Hughes, who accompanied the young players to Germany, said the World Cup Sports Initiative was established to show “young people across the world Americans as we really are.”