TAMPA, Fla. — Joshua Felder has appeared on some of the biggest stages in sports and entertainment, and now he can add the FIFA Club World Cup to the list.
The Tampa native recently returned from Miami, where he served as a coin toss assistant before a match between Saudi Arabia and Uruguay during the international soccer tournament.
"It was very memorable. Something I won't forget ever," Felder said. "It was so hyped."
WATCH: From Tampa to the World Cup: Joshua Felder continues mission of autism awareness
Felder brought home several keepsakes from the experience, including cleats, a soccer ball, and the gear he wore on the field.
"A hyped crowd and just a hyped experience," he said.
Felder attended the event as a representative of Best Buddies International, a nonprofit organization that creates opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities through friendship, leadership, and inclusion programs. The organization serves participants in all 50 states and dozens of countries around the world.
He said his involvement with Best Buddies helped transform his life.
"Before I was involved with Best Buddies, I was a very shy, antisocial person," Felder said. "Not awkward, just shy and didn't want to talk to no one."
The World Cup appearance is the latest milestone for Felder, who has become a familiar face to many in the Tampa Bay area and beyond.
In 2023, he appeared in the movie "Champions," starring Woody Harrelson as a basketball coach working with a team of players with disabilities.
"I'll be walking somewhere minding my own business, and people will come up and say, 'You're that guy from Champions,'" Felder said. "They loved the movie and they loved the message."
Before his acting debut, Felder performed during The Weeknd's Super Bowl halftime show at Raymond James Stadium in 2021. He said he later learned he may have been the first person with a disability to participate in a Super Bowl halftime performance.
"I found out that was a fact ever since he shouted me out," Felder said. "I went viral from that."
Today, Felder spends much of his time serving as a Best Buddies ambassador, sharing his story and encouraging others to pursue their goals.
"There's no such thing as perfection," he said. "What matters more is progress and determination. They just got to keep trying."
While his time on the field at the World Cup is over, Felder plans to keep watching the tournament. Asked who he hopes wins it all, he didn't hesitate.
"I'm going for two teams," he said. "USA, of course. But my second team is Brazil."
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