Harrison teen excited to be on 'ball crew' for FIFA World Cup finals
Briana Stilo manages offside balls and returns them to play as a part of the crew.
Jul 18, 2026, 9:31 PM
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A Harrison teenage girl will be part of the FIFA World Cup Ball Crew at this Sunday's final soccer match between Argentina and Spain
While fans worldwide watch the final game, Briana Stilo's family will be "going crazy" with cheers every time the camera turns focus to 16-year-old Briana as she throws the ball to world-renowned players.
Briana manages offside balls and returns them to play as a part of the crew. A rising junior at Harrison High School, Briana says she feels a combination of amazement and disbelief at this dream come true.
"For one of the games, I was put right behind the goal where you get to throw in the ball directly to the goalie whenever it goes out," she says. "Whenever the team took shots or goals, I was right there and it was amazing to see all of that up close."
Briana calls herself a "huge" soccer fan and plays on the Harrison High School soccer team. She also plays for the New York City Football Club (NYCFC). Volunteering at last year’s NYCFC World Cup helped Briana earn a spot on the ball crew for the 2026 FIFA World Cup final.
"I was so excited," she says. "They sent out emails asking what game dates we're free, and I said 'all of them!' so that I could get picked for a lot of games."
Briana was flown to Atlanta to the U.S. Soccer National Training Center in May as part of the mandatory training to join 182 youth athletes for a special training camp for 5 hours of training per day, before being field-ready.
"To see our daughter behind the plays on TV has just been a wonderful experience for us to witness," says Joe Stilo, Briana's father. "We've been doing watch parties with family where everyone watches the games but focuses on Briana on the sidelines and starts going nuts and screaming her name every time she's on camera and throwing in the ball."
"I started soccer when I was 2 years old," Briana says. "My older sisters and my dad, too, all helped coach me.
Briana says she's excited for Sunday's final and plans to get to bed early so she can report to Sofive Soccer Center in Carlstadt, New Jersey, before she heads to MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford.
Briana's mother, Melissa, says that getting her daughter to and from the meeting locations, and in fact, the entire process, "has been a breeze."
"They made it so easy on the parents," Melissa says. "When people hear about Briana being part of the ball team, they say it must be so crazy. But not at all. I'm never concerned I'll get her there in time. FIFA has done...such an amazing job keeping it simple, organized and stress-free as a parent."
Among Briana's highlights are the Norway game and her anticipation of seeing Justin Bieber perform during halftime at the finals.
"It's been a wonderful experience," Briana says. "On TV, it just looks like people passing a ball around and you think, 'whatever.' But up close you get to see how exactly they move the ball around, how they pass and shoot, what they're thinking and how they work as a team."
What's next? Briana is learning all she can from observing world-class players and has her sights set on readying herself for college soccer. She says right now that she's focused on waking up refreshed "for an amazing, surreal day tomorrow."
