How a Mom’s Last-Minute Contest Entry Turned Into an Epic World Cup Experience for Her 10-Year-Old Daughter: ‘A Core Memory’ (Exclusive)
· Yahoo Sports
Credit: Courtesy of Verizon
NEED TO KNOW
- Bailey DeWitt and her mom attended the Spain-Cape Verde World Cup opener after winning pitchside tickets through a contest
- Bailey, a 10-year-old soccer player, was inspired by seeing professional athletes up close and sharing the experience with her mom
- Cape Verde and Spain delivered standout World Cup moments, with Cape Verde nearly upsetting Argentina in the knockout round
Stepping onto the field at Atlanta Stadium, 10-year-old soccer fan Bailey DeWitt and her mother, Susanna, could hardly believe what was unfolding in front of them.
Mere feet away stood the top players from Spain and Cape Verde, who opened their 2026 FIFA World Cup run on June 15 in front of a packed house of more than 67,000 fans — including the awe-struck mother-daughter duo.
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“Her dream is to play professional soccer and to be that close to some of the best players in the world and seeing it at that level, I feel like it gave her the inspiration to strive for that one day,” Susanna exclusively tells PEOPLE.
A longtime athlete, Bailey has been playing soccer for a Georgia club since the age of three. Susanna, who grew up playing softball, says she learned to love game through her daughter. “My husband played his entire life, he played one year of college soccer,” she says. “He was the one that signed [Bailey] up for soccer when she was three, and they have this bond over soccer. It’s really, really sweet.”
Bailey DeWitt watched the Spain-Cape Verde clash at the World Cup in June 2026Credit: Courtesy of Verizon
Bailey enjoys playing wing-back, a hybrid role combining attacking and defensive responsibilities, “the most.”
“I get to be part of something that’s bigger than me,” Bailey tells PEOPLE.
Knowing her daughter’s passion for soccer and adoration for the United States Women’s National Team, Susanna didn’t think twice when she opened her My Verizon app earlier this year and saw a local access reward involving American defender Gisele Thompson concluding soon.
“We had just watched the U.S. team on Saturday [Jan. 24], watched [Thompson] play against Paraguay, and so, I knew it would be something she really would want to do,” Susanna recalls. “And it was like a 14-minute countdown. So I waited, tried to get it and somehow won.”
When Thompson, 20, eventually connected with Bailey and her mother, it was to inform them they had secured pitchside “golden tickets” to the Group H World Cup opener between Spain and Cape Verde in June.
“When we got to have that call with her, it was just really exciting. We were just so thrilled for the opportunity to speak with a pro soccer player who plays to the U.S. Women’s National Team,” recalls Susanna, who adds Bailey had written out about “21” questions to ask Thompson.
Upon making their way inside the stadium for the Spain-Cape Verde clash, Bailey and Susanna were taken aback by the lively atmosphere.
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“It was big and really loud,” recalls Bailey, who witnessed Cape Verde’s goalkeeper, Vozinha, make one of his seven saves against Spain in the 0-0 draw.
Bailey DeWitt smiles with the World Cup mascotsCredit: Courtesy of Verizon
But beyond witnessing the world’s premier playmakers in action, what Bailey cherished the most about that day is that she “got to experience it with somebody else”: Her mom.
“That was a core memory,” Susanna says.
Cape Verde and Spain have delivered plenty of buzzy World Cup moments this summer.
Related: Everything to Know About the 2026 World Cup
Cape Verde, which placed second in the Group H standings, went toe-to-toe against tournament favorite Argentina in the knockout round on Friday, July 3. Cape Verde nearly upset the defending champions before a Lionel Messi corner kick made its way into the goal off a deflection from Diney Borges, which sealed the 3-2 victory for Argentina in extra time. Argentina then pulled off a stunning comeback to defeat Egypt in the round of 16 on Tuesday, July 7.
Spain, meanwhile, edged out Portugal 1-0 on Monday, July 6, in a crushing finish to Cristiano Ronaldo’s World Cup career.
The World Cup final is set for Sunday, July 19, at New York New Jersey Stadium.
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