Lucky Maltese kid accompanied Real’s Varane at Russia World Cup Final

Julian Camilleri Konov, the McDonald’s Player Escort from Malta, was selected to accompany Real Madrid and France defender Raphael Varane onto the pitch for the FIFA World Cup final against Croatia in Moscow last month.

Seven-year-old Julian from Birkirkara was chosen through the McDonald’s Player Escort Programme in Malta.

More than 60 children took part in the McDonald’s FootballPlus for Kids programme which included two football festivals for children aged six to 10. One child was chosen at random to appear at the World Cup final, while the runners up appeared as Player Escorts at the UEFA Nations League fixtures involving Malta.

Julian and his mother Svetlana Camilleri Konova travelled to Moscow courtesy of McDonald’s and participated in a variety of activities for Player Escorts, including a boat trip on the river and a visit to the historical Kolomenskoye palaces, a former royal estate in southern Moscow. On the day of the final, Julian and other McDonald’s Player Escorts were able to meet the players and practise for their big moment.

“It was so exciting to be in the final,” Julian said. “I will never forget the feeling of walking out onto the pitch with Varane.”

McDonald’s has been an official sponsor of the FIFA World Cup since 1994. “We have a long-held tradition of bringing sport to life for millions of customers around the world,” the company said in a statement.