Soccer superfans cycle nearly 11,000 miles to support World Cup team
Three Argentine soccer fans cycled nearly 11,000 miles from their home country to Kansas City, Missouri, to see their national soccer team compete in the 2026 World Cup, which kicks off Thursday.
Vicente Conculini and his friends Miguel Silio and Yamandú Martínez embarked from their hometown of Gualeguaychú last August on a more than nine month-cycling journey, carrying all their summer and winter gear on their bikes.
When asked if he had even heard of Kansas City before the trek, Conculini told ABC News' Danny New, "No."
Conculini told ABC News he quit his job for the adventure, and on a scale of 1 through 10, he said his love for the Argentina National Football Team is 11.
The cyclist said some of the hardest parts of the journey were when the group traveled through the mountains of Bolivia and Peru.
Along the way, Conculini said the trio also stopped to take in the sights, particularly in Mexico, the sixteenth country in their pilgrimage. They also shared snapshots and video clips along the way on social media.
After the three friends arrived in Kansas City, Mike Kelly, the chair of the Johnson County Board of Commissioners, surprised them with tickets to Argentina's first 2026 World Cup game against Algeria, which will be held at Arrowhead Stadium on Tuesday, June 16.
"I think one of the things we're trying to show is the warmth and hospitality that is here, not only in America, but specifically in Kansas City," Kelly told ABC News.
