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When the world came to town

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This summer, the world came to North Texas for the FIFA World Cup 2026™, and 12 Cook Children’s patients took center field. They were chosen as official Coca-Cola FIFA World Cup 2026 Flag Bearers, carrying the national flags for Japan and the Netherlands during the tournament's first-ever North Texas match on June 14. To celebrate, we threw a “Flag Bearer Signing Day” celebration complete with Peaks the Dragon®, families, friends and Cook Children’s team members.

A global playbook

But our soccer game plan didn't stop on the field. As fans from around the globe flooded into Texas, we provided a playbook of helpful resources, sharing tips on finding care while traveling and staying safe in the Texas heat.

And for the home team, we kept the soccer spirit going, too. From back-to-school checkup reminders with a soccer-themed twist to advice from our sports physical therapists on dodging the most common soccer injuries, we've been cheering on our own young athletes all season long.

Healthy strides start with the right health care team to help keep everyone in the game. And sometimes those strides start with a flag-bearing walk across the FIFA World Cup 2026™ field.

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