Verizon Buys Brazil's Top Soccer Star to Win Big in World Cup!
Thompson delivered Verizon's FIFA "Golden Call" winner, Jacob Lauderdale, two pitch-side tickets to the USMNT's opening match.
Gisele Thompson surprises fans with pitch-side access tickets during Verizon giveaway. LOS ANGELES– Angel City FC star Gisele Thompson and Verizon have teamed up to surprise 20 fans with free tickets to 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup matches around the country. Southern California native Jacob Lauderdale is one of the lucky winners.
When Lauderdale opened his Verizon app and saw a countdown to talk to professional soccer players, he didn’t believe it. He logged in to his access page and immediately saw an email confirming he had won a five-minute video call with Thompson, during which he asked questions about playing for Angel City and her experiences sharing the pitch with her sister Alyssa. Then, Thompson surprised him with another announcement.
He was going to the World Cup. Lauderdale won two tickets and plans to take his younger brother Owen, who introduced him to soccer, to experience the game from the best seats. The brothers played together in the American Youth Soccer Organization before transitioning to club soccer.
“He was the left wing. I was a right-winger. So we just played off of each other, and it was a really cool experience.