Zlatan Ibrahimovic, a Los Angeles Galaxy player, was surprised by the team of young Thai boys who had been stuck in their coach's 17-day cave in Yuenu last year.
The 12-year-old American presenter Alain de Gueneres, along with their coach, hosted her program, making her debut on an international television screen.
The astonishment of all the boys appeared as Ibrahimovic entered the studio with a sudden smile and a wide smile, which the boys met with signs of happiness, the British Guardian reported Wednesday.
"These children, and this team, are more courageous than me, they have shown how their collective work has been a source of patience and faith" during their ordeal at Tham Luang Cave in Thailand, Ibrahimovic said.
Ibrahimovic exchanged with the young men talking, and urged them to work hard, saying: "Perhaps this is the best team in the world," which raised the heat of applause inside the studio.
The boys, mostly from poor families in northern Thailand, entered the spotlight when they entered a cave on June 23 and were rescued by rescue teams in a complex operation that ended on July 10.
In their interview with the program's announcer, four of the boys revealed that their birthdays coincided with their siege inside the cave.
When asked what they hoped for in the future, the answer was unanimous. That they all want good education and good jobs and be professional in football, so they can take care of their families.
