Young Cancer Survivor Earns Special Honor Ahead of World Cup Match In Boston

The FIFA World Cup 2026 plans to reach a huge audience in the United States, and the tournament will look to leave a positive impact on people who watch the event.

Graham Phillips, a 13-year-old boy from Watertown, Massachusetts, is a cancer survivor, and he will be representing Boston Children's Hospital as a former patient and cancer survivor during the pre-match festivities of Gillette Stadium's first World Cup game this summer.

Gillette Stadium (rebranded as Boston Stadium for the World Cup) will host seven games this summer, and Graham Phillips will be a part of Boston Stadium's first World Cup game this weekend: Haiti vs Scotland.

The young boy will serve as one of the flag bearers for the match, and he will be part of a new pre-match routine for the 2026 World Cup.

CBS Boston spoke with Graham Phillips and his father, Jonathan Phillips, about this opportunity to be a part of the World Cup early on in the tournament, following his battle with cancer.

Graham Phillips on the World Cup Opportunity in Boston

Graham Phillips sounded excited to be part of such a big event like the World Cup when talking with CBS Boston after no longer having cancer.

Graham Phillips told CBS Boston, "I think I am going to be in the middle of the field...Thank you [to World Cup organizers] for letting me do this, and it's going to be fun."

Graham Phillips sent a message to other children who are going through similar cancer battles and said, "That it can be defeated, and the doctors and nurses try super hard to let that happen."

His father, Jonathan Phillips, spoke about how happy he is about his son being cancer-free and now focusing on the positives. Phillips said, "He [Graham] taught me that you can be positive through some of the worst things that are happening and to focus on what is positive."

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This story was originally published June 9, 2026 at 5:03 PM.