World
12-year-old girl with rare disease represents Israel at World Cup
A 12-year-old Israeli girl who suffers from a rare genetic disease was honored Tuesday with carrying the ball into the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey for the FIFA World Cup match between France and Senegal.
Ayala Ohana is one of 104 children from all over the world who were selected by Korean automaker Kia, a partner of the soccer governing body, to deliver the ball to referees ahead of each match.
She and her father, an online content creator, traveled together to Tuesday’s match, which ended 3-1 for France.
Ohana has Gaucher disease, which causes a buildup of fatty substances in tissue that leads to malfunctions in the liver, spleen and other organs. People of Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry have a higher risk than others of developing the disease.
Speaking with the Ynet news site earlier this month, Ayala said she receives treatment every week or two for her condition. “It’s impossible to live without the treatment,” she said.
Ohana’s father Hananel runs Instagram and TikTok pages with hundreds of thousands of followers, with whom he has shared Ayala’s story and raised awareness for the disease.
In a June 3 video from the doctor’s office, Hananel revealed to Ayala what he said he had been keeping from her for two months: that Kia had given them two golden tickets to the World Cup, and that she would represent Israel as the official ball carrier.
Ayala, with tears of joy, responded: “I’m in shock!”
מי אמר שישראל לא הגיעה למונדיאל? יש לנו נציגות ישראלית על המגרש. איילה אוחנה בת ה-12 הגישה את הכדור במשחק בין צרפת לסנגל #כאן_מונדיאל #FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/ndXeYrQpNn
— כאן (@kann) June 16, 2026
The father noted in the video caption that his daughter would be the only Israeli representative in this year’s World Cup, which the Israeli team did not qualify for.
Hananel told Ynet that Kia Israel representatives who notified him of Ayala’s selection had told him that “one child is selected from each country who brings with them a story, meaning and value.”
“They picked Ayala out of a considerable list of children in Israel, and asked us to keep it a secret,” he said.
