A family from County Down had an unexpected turn of luck during a holiday in Canada, receiving free tickets to a World Cup match from a social media influencer.

Cormac Carville, from Teconnaught, and his sons Joshua, 14, and Finn, 6, were visiting relatives in Toronto. They had travelled into the city centre on Friday to soak up the match-day atmosphere, but with tickets reportedly selling for around £2,000 each, the prospect of seeing the game inside the stadium seemed remote.

As they walked through streets filled with supporters heading to Toronto Stadium for the Portugal versus Croatia fixture, Joshua spotted someone he believed was Zachery Dereniowski, a YouTuber known for videos promoting acts of kindness. He approached and asked for a photograph.

Mr Dereniowski, whose content has attracted more than 30 million followers, responded not by posing for a picture but by offering the family tickets to the match. The entire exchange was captured on camera and later shared on his social media channels, where it has been viewed by millions.

Mr Carville described the experience as surreal and admitted he initially suspected it might be a prank. The family, however, accepted the offer and entered the stadium to watch the game.

The Carvilles are on an extended visit to the Toronto area, where Mr Carville’s wife Catherine grew up. The father of four said the surprise gesture turned what was already an exciting trip into an unforgettable memory for the family.