THOMAS ANTHONY ABRAHAM CALLS ON FIFA AND PRESIDENT INFANTINO TO CHAMPION 1.3 BILLION PEOPLE THE WORLD HAS NOT YET SEEN

iCrowdNewswire

Apr 17, 2026

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Miami, Florida — One Game One Future Miami — Blind Soccer FIFA Grant Announcement

At the “One Game, One Future” FIFA Blind Soccer Grant Announcement, the first U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Blind Soccer Ambassador delivered a heartfelt address, closing with a gentle, sincere ask of FIFA and its President Gianni Infantino — please respond to his letter, and consider the simple question within it:

“The torch is lit. The question is — who will carry it?”

The Anthony R. Abraham Foundation Commits $1 Million to Launch America’s First-Ever Paralympic Blind Soccer Team

MIAMI, FL — Thomas Anthony Abraham, the first USA Olympic and Paralympic Blind Soccer Ambassador in the history of the United States, delivered a landmark address to FIFA leadership at the “One Game One Future Miami” event, held at the Miami Lighthouse for the Blind — the occasion of a historic FIFA grant announcement in support of blind soccer in the United States. In his remarks, Abraham called on FIFA, as an institution, to take one historic action that he says will open the hearts and minds of billions of people worldwide and launch a movement that goes far beyond sport.

Speaking before a gathering at the Miami Lighthouse for the Blind that included Virginia Jacko, President of the Miami Lighthouse for the Blind, FIFA World Cup 2026 Miami Host Committee representatives Rodney and Janelle, Alina Hudak of Miami-Dade County, and James Haj of The Children’s Trust, Abraham made a direct and personal appeal — to FIFA and to President Infantino — on behalf of 1.3 billion people worldwide living with a disability.

THE ASK: A Simple, Direct, World-Changing Invitation

Abraham formally requested that FIFA — as an organization, with President Infantino at its helm — invite each of the 48 World Cup nations to bring one member of their country’s Paralympic Blind Soccer Team to stand with their national delegation at the opening ceremony of every match they play — not as a symbol, not as a token, but as an equal: an official sports ambassador for their nation.

“So here is my ask. It is simple. It is direct. And it will awaken the world,”

Abraham stated to the audience, “We are asking FIFA to invite each of the 48 World Cup nations to bring one member of their country’s Paralympic Blind Soccer Team to stand with their delegation at the opening ceremony of every match they play — Abraham noted that he has personally delivered a letter with this request directly to President Infantino’s office, addressed to both the President and FIFA as an institution, and is awaiting their formal response.

This Action Opens the Hearts and Minds of Billions

Abraham emphasized that this is not merely an act of inclusion — it is the spark of a global movement. In his letter and statement, he stated:

“One gesture — 48 nations, billions of eyes — does not just include the unseen. It awakens the world to them. When billions watch this opening ceremony, they will not just witness inclusion — they will feel it. That feeling is the seed of a movement. Compassion at this scale is contagious. What begins on a soccer field travels into living rooms, classrooms, and governments across every continent.”

Abraham underscored the irreversibility of the moment: “You cannot unsee what FIFA is about to show the world.”

Beyond Vision — Championing the Unseen

Abraham made clear in his letter that this movement extends beyond the blind and visually impaired community. In what may be the most powerful passage of his address, he stated:

“This movement is bigger than blindness. It is bigger than disability. It is about every human being the world has chosen not to see. The refugee. The child in poverty. The elder is forgotten. The woman told she does not belong. The veteran whose sacrifice went unrecognized. When FIFA says yes to the blind athlete on the world’s stage — it sends a message to all of them: if the world’s greatest sport can see you, the world can see you.”

He concluded with a challenge to FIFA as an organization: “This is the moment sport becomes more than sport. This is the moment FIFA becomes the champion — not of a game — but of humanity. One YES from FIFA. A movement that echoes for generations.”

Thomas Anthony Abraham & America’s First Paralympic Blind Soccer Team

The Anthony R. Abraham Foundation committed one million dollars to launch America’s first-ever Paralympic Blind Soccer Team — an effort undertaken not because anyone asked, but because no one else had. The One Game One Future Miami event was hosted by the 2026 Miami World Cup Host Committee. The Foundation also partnered with the Miami Lighthouse for the Blind to create the first-ever blind soccer pitch in the United States, serving children ages 2 to 18. FIFA has publicly acknowledged the historic contribution of the Anthony Abraham Foundation and the Miami Lighthouse for the Blind in this landmark effort, which was celebrated today by the 2026WC Miami Host Committee and the Children’s Trust with a generous contribution.

A Once-in-a-Generation Convergence

Abraham pointed out in his letter three historic milestones converging in a single year that will never align again:

The FIFA World Cup comes to America — once
America’s first Paralympic Blind Soccer Team takes the field — once
America turns 250 — once

“These three moments — in one country, in one year — will never come again,” Abraham wrote to President Infantino. “The torch is lit. The question is — who will carry it?”

THIS IS: WHY NOT FIFA?

Abraham closed his remarks with a direct challenge addressed jointly to FIFA as an institution and to President Infantino as its leader, asking both to answer a question on behalf of 1.3 billion people:

“Why not FIFA, to champion 1.3 billion people who just happen to have a disability? Why not this tournament — this moment — to start the movement that changes how the world sees the unseen? Why not FIFA — to open the hearts and minds of billions, on the greatest stage ever given to sport? Why not this tournament — this institution, this moment — to be the people history remembers as the ones who said yes?”

About Thomas Anthony Abraham

Thomas Anthony Abraham is the first USA Olympic and Paralympic Blind Soccer Ambassador in the history of the United States of America. Through the Anthony R. Abraham Foundation’s landmark commitment of one million dollars, he launched America’s first-ever Paralympic Blind Soccer Team — not because anyone asked, but because no one else had. He is the driving force behind the first-ever blind soccer pitch in the United States, created in partnership with the Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and serving children ages 2 to 18. He is also the author of the song “Why Not Me,” written for every person of determination who has ever been told to sit down or wait their turn.

About One Game One Future Miami

One Game One Future Miami is a landmark event held at the Miami Lighthouse for the Blind, bringing together FIFA leadership, community partners, and advocates to celebrate the historic FIFA grant in support of blind soccer in the United States and to advance the mission of inclusion, equality, and opportunity for persons of determination worldwide.

See Campaign: https://abrahamfoundation.com/

Contact Information:

Thomas Anthony Abraham First USA Olympic & Paralympic Blind Soccer Ambassador Email: [email protected] Cell: 786-200-2716 Office: 305-666-8020

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