Ecuador fans celebrate after Alan Minda’s goal during the second half of their Copa America Group B match against Jamaica at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada on Wednesday. (Photo: AFP)
HOUSTON (USA) (AFP) — Migrant fans – hordes of yellow-clad Colombian fans, hordes of green-shirted Mexican supporters and hordes of burgundy-clad Venezuelan spectators – provide a raucous and passionate backdrop to the on-field action at the Copa America.
This year marks just the second time in history that the South American continental championships will be held at venues across the United States, offering a glimpse into what North America can expect when the 2026 World Cup is hosted in the region two years from now.
The gleaming stadium, with its state-of-the-art facilities and largely used as a stage for the bone-crunching clashes of the National Football League (NFL), instead beats to the rhythm of the beautiful game, with immigrant fans an integral part of the spectacle.
In a pre-tournament warm-up in Maryland, home of the NFL team the Washington Commanders, Colombian fans turned a friendly against the United States into a virtual home game, cheering with “Los Cafeteros” as the team crushed the Copa America hosts 5-1.
Scenes like this were replicated throughout the Copa America group stages, with immigrant spectators from across the United States filling the stadiums.
“Thousands of my compatriots who have arrived say to me, ‘I’m from Florida, I’m from New York, I’m from Atlanta, everywhere,'” said Alejandro Quintero, 48, a Colombian fan who has lived in North Carolina for three years.
“Football brings everyone together,” added Quintero, who sought asylum in the United States due to security concerns in his home country. “Events like this give us hope.”
In addition to the 10 South American teams that usually take part in the Copa America, this year’s tournament has been expanded to include six teams from the CONCACAF region of North America, Central America and the Caribbean.
Many CONCACAF teams in Latin America have the ability to draw large fan bases from immigrant fans who have lived in the United States for generations.
“I’ve been living in Houston for two years and South Americans put a lot more emotion into Copa America games,” said Alex Angulo, a 39-year-old Colombian who lives in the United States with his wife and two children.
Anglos are part of the U.S. Hispanic population, estimated at about 63.7 million according to 2022 figures, making up 19.1% of the total population.
Outside Children’s Mercy Park stadium in Kansas City, Lourdes Pino was among a crowd of Peruvian fans in red-and-white shirts enjoying traditional Peruvian food.
Pino moved to the United States in 2014 “looking for opportunities to grow and prosper.” She lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, and has traveled to attend La Blanquiloja games in Arlington, Texas, and Kansas City.
“Having my team here is one of the biggest emotions for me. I’ve put off work and everything,” said Pino, who works in construction.
Brazilian fan Luiz Gustavo says there’s a word for the kind of enthusiasm immigrant fans show at the Copa America.
“In Portuguese we call it ‘saudade,’ a mixture of nostalgia and affection,” said the 30-year-old, who arrived in the United States two years ago and was part of the crowd that watched Brazil and Costa Rica play off in a 0-0 draw in Los Angeles on Monday.
The strong immigrant support for Copa America teams is not much of a surprise to those involved in U.S. club soccer: Major League Soccer executive Alfonso Mondello credits the league’s growing attendance numbers to the immigrant population.
“The increase in fan base in recent years has been incredible and unprecedented in the history of football in this country,” he said.
“This has a lot to do with the Latino community embracing football as part of their culture,” AFP said.
“At least a third of the fans in the (MLS) stadiums are Latino. American fans see the partying and the fun atmosphere and they want to join in.”
Mondello said the success of the U.S. women’s national team and the signing of Argentine superstar Lionel Messi to Inter Miami have also contributed to increased attendance.
“In the future, a lot of kids will be crazy about football and want to be Messi,” he said.
