Ultimate Devotion: Colombian fan cycles over 4,000km across capitals to support team at World Cup

Love for football is universal. Stories of die-hard football fans have often made headlines, mainly during or around major tournaments, including the Euros and the World Cups; however, a one-of-a-kind story has surfaced on social media of a Colombian fan named Andrés Gualteros, who was in attendance for his team’s World Cup opener against Uzbekistan, but no one knows how.

This Colombian fan cycled over 4,000 km (starting from Bogotá, Colombia) across two continents and several countries to reach the Estadio Azteca stadium in Mexico City in time for his team's tournament opener on Wednesday (Jun 17). Showing his utmost dedication towards his team, which is placed in Group K alongside title contenders Portugal, Uzbekistan and DR Congo, Andrés said, "We have a very polarised country, divided between two sides and almost in a civil war. Right now, honestly, the only thing that unites us is a football team.”

This crazy football fan vows to cycle to Alaska or Argentina if his team lifts the trophy.

FIFA World Cup 2026 Live on Zee5 Photograph: (WION)

How did he travel that far?

The overland cycling distance between the two capitals (Bogotá and Mexico City) is roughly 4,500-4,700 km. It requires taking a boat or cargo flight across the Darien Gap between South and Central America, as the Pan-American Highway is impassable by road there.

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However, in an interview, Andrés Gualteros explicitly revealed that he cycled from Bogotá to Santa Marta, flew from Colombia's capital city to Panama, and then cycled continuously from Panama up to Mexico City. What’s more interesting is that he covered this distance in a staggering 17 days.

His journey was worth every bit, as Colombia beat Uzbekistan 3-1 in their FIFA World Cup 2026 opener.