The Guinness World Record official adjudicator, Andy Glass, joined Wu on stage. And, after her speech, he awarded the city with Guinness’ celebrated plaque.
“There’s one more exciting thing to see in East Boston,” Wu said.
Throughout the event, the giant blue ball loomed over the speakers. Tethered by long wires to fixate its place on stage, the inflatable is printed with the silhouettes of the world’s continents — a tribute to those coming here for the tournament from across the world.
“We’re welcoming the world to Boston,” said Senator Lydia Edwards, who represents the East Boston area. “It’s just incredible that the world will be able to see what we get to see every day, which is a beautiful, vibrant green city that is welcoming to all.”
Over the next week, the ball will remain inflated at Piers Park.
The event comes a day after the World Cup kicked off in Mexico. On Thursday, fans cheered on Mexico at a watch party held just behind the giant ball, near the water.
As the breeze carried over the smell of salty harbor air, Soccer Without Borders’ (SWB) Massachusetts hub director, Bruno Contreras, took to the stage.
“For many of us, soccer was our first language before English,” Contreras said. “It was how we meet friends, how we felt at home, how we carry pieces of our countries with us while building a life here.”
Soccer Without Borders is an international nonprofit that expands access to soccer to underserved youth, using the game as a “vehicle for positive change,” per the organization’s website.
As Contreras continued, 12 children with SWB climbed the stage stairs, lining up behind him. They were given soccer ball replicas of the giant one sitting behind them. Massport, one of the three advertisers plastered on the giant ball, will donate a total of 100 replicas to the nonprofit.
Tomorrow, 22 SWB participants will walk players out at Boston’s first World Cup match.
“That is why this moment is so meaningful, because the world’s largest soccer ball isn’t just a symbol of the game, it’s a symbol of visibility,” Contreras said, referencing the spotlight the World Cup puts on the world’s cultures.
To close the event, SWB kids posed for pictures with Wu and other speakers. As they smiled with their blue soccer ball replicas, it looked as if they held the world in their hands.
Jaden Perry can be reached at [email protected].
