Hristo Stoichkov and Other Global Legends Delight Children in Central Park

Bulgaria's most successful footballer of all time, Hristo Stoichkov, delighted dozens of children in New York with photos and autographs, as witnessed by Sportal.bg.

The Ballon d'Or winner, alongside other global football legends – Cafu, John Terry, Marco Materazzi, Javier Mascherano, Esteban Cambiasso, Maxi Rodriguez, Lukas Podolski, and Javier Pastore – taught children how to administer first aid if a teammate suffers a cardiac arrest, before joining them for a game of football.

This event took place at the recently opened FIFA Arena pitch in Manhattan's iconic Central Park.

Initially, the stars conducted separate drills with several groups. Afterwards, matches commenced, with John Terry and Mascherano taking turns as goalkeepers to ensure children from numerous teams had the chance to play with the other legends.

Hristo Stoichkov, who represents FIFA's "Football for Schools" program, was chosen by the attending media, along with Terry, to comment on the initiative.

"This is a fantastic initiative, and it's great that parents are coming to see it, and children are learning how to provide first aid. 'FIFA Medical' is an excellent program that should ideally become standard practice in all academies worldwide over time, so children receive this training. It enables them to react in unfortunate situations, as they could save a friend, and most importantly, a human life," shared 'The Dagger'.

"It's wonderful to see so many children, boys and girls, showing such immense passion and love for the game. Because they are the future. They are the new generation and are much more informed than we were at their age, in this world they live in. These things can only be helpful, and I hope they prove to be so, should the need arise," added the former England captain.