Jhon Arias, 28, grew up in the Samper neighborhood of Quibdó 🇨🇴 — an area in the north of the city where the signal is limited and many families do not have a television. When his first World Cup came around, he did not forget that.
On June 17, 2026, while Arias was getting ready to step onto Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca to play Colombia’s opener against Uzbekistan, his neighborhood already had two giant screens set up and a free event that he himself funded and organized.
He did it with a video on social media: he invited his neighbors, the children who now run through the same streets where he grew up, to gather in the park to experience it together. He gave away jerseys and soccer balls. The place filled up. 🙌
There are players who go far and look ahead. Arias reached the biggest tournament in the world and looked back — toward the neighborhood that saw him grow up — to make sure no one would miss it. ✨
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