OAK BROOK, Ill. — For the fifth consecutive year, McDonald's will team up with the Mexican National Soccer team (MNT) as exclusive restaurant sponsor of its five-city U.S. friendly match tour, the company has announced. The sponsorship includes pre-game youth soccer clinics conducted by former MNT star Missael Espinoza and a player escort program.
The season kicks off Jan. 28 in Oakland at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum with Mexico squaring off against Sweden.
The 2009 schedule is being finalized, but games are tentatively scheduled for March 11 in Denver, June 24 in San Diego, July 8 in Atlanta and Sept. 23 in Dallas. Game opponents and stadiums will be confirmed at a later date. The final schedule will be posted on www.MeEncanta.com.
Espinoza, a member of MNT's 1994 World Cup team, will lead approximately 100 youth through drills at each clinic. The clinics provide kids with the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of playing on a professional field and training side-by-side with a professional soccer player. At the end of each clinic, 22 children will be selected to return on game-day to serve as McDonald's Player Escorts. Each child will escort a player onto the field and stand alongside them during the national anthem.
Espinoza also provides training tips on McDonald's Web site, www.MeEncanta.com. Since 2002, more than 3,000 children have been given the opportunity to be McDonald's Player Escorts at prestigious international tournaments including the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea-Japan, UEFA EURO 2004 and the FIFA Confederations Cup 2005.
McDonald's sent a total of 1,408 player escorts from around the world, including 18 from the United States, to the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany.
McDonald's sponsorship of MNT continues through the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
