By Becca Renk Foster – Jul 20, 2026
Watching the 2026 World Cup matches has been excruciating for me. I always root for the underdogs: the teams from countries with few resources to dedicate to sport, who have made it there against all odds to play their hearts out for their country. As the game progresses, I watch my teams dance as they pass the ball up the field, run around defenders and set up a gorgeous shot on goal. I feel a wild hope – justice will be done!
Inevitably, my team loses. Sometimes to a better opponent, other times the outcome is more questionable.
But the excitement always becomes unbearable because I can’t seem to separate battles on the soccer field from battles in the real world.
From Pitch to Politics
Parallels from the pitch to politics are easy to make because right now it feels as though Latin America is playing the tournament of its life, where not only the sovereignty but the continued existence of the countries of our region hang in the balance.
The United States has interfered in recent elections in Honduras, Colombia and Peru in order to hand power to the far right. It’s as if those countries all won their matches, but were eliminated from the tournament anyway – kind of like the U.S. President calling the FIFA President to demand a change in the results.
Cuba is under siege with a genocidal U.S. blockade in place that has caused infant mortality to double in the past few months. Despite the fact that the U.S. has metaphorically held Cuba back by the shirt for over 60 years, the country is still holding its place in the tournament. Cuba’s goal keeper is managing incredible saves, but the team is exhausted. They’ve requested VAR revision, and the refs in the UN have called it – the blockade against Cuba is a foul. The entire world is on their feet in the stands protesting while the U.S. covers its mouth with its hand to plot military invasion.
From near defeat following crippling sanctions a decade ago, Venezuela had made an amazing comeback when suddenly the U.S. coach murdered all the Venezuelan players on the bench and took the Venezuelan coach hostage. Now, following two earthquakes, with 5,000 dead and funds desperately needed to rebuild Venezuela, foreign governments are still holding hostage billions in illegally frozen Venezuelan assets. Even FIFA would be hard pressed to conceive of such inhumane corruption.
As I watch these events unfold in Latin America, I feel as though I’m on the edge of my seat, holding my breath and praying for the outcome to this sick, rigged game.
Nicaragua’s Triumph
But not all is lost.
On the very day of the 2026 World Cup Final, Nicaragua is celebrating 47 years of the Popular Sandinista Revolution. Our small Central American country is still in the game, and for Nicaragua, it’s been anything but a fair tournament.
In 1979, against all odds, Sandinista guerillas overthrew the cruel Somoza dictatorship. The Somozas were installed and supported by the U.S. while they tortured and oppressed the people of Nicaragua for 45 years. After its triumph, with 50,000 dead from the insurrection and the country’s infrastructure destroyed, the Sandinista Popular Revolution set out to teach its people to read and write, to vaccinate children, to grow food and thrive.
The U.S. responded by organizing and funding counter revolutionary forces that attacked the gains of the Nicaraguan revolution over 10 years of the contra war by killing teachers, health care workers and farmers, leaving another 50,000 dead.
In 1990, Nicaragua went to the ballot box with a gun to its head – the U.S. invested millions in the elections and made it very clear that if Nicaraguans wanted the war to end, they had to vote for the U.S. candidate. Nicaragua voted for peace and the new president did the bidding of the U.S., ushering in 16 years of neoliberal governments during which the poor got poorer and the rich got very rich indeed.
Goals Scored
Following two elections rigged by the U.S., I remember sitting on the edge of my seat during the 2006 elections, holding my breath and praying as the Nicaraguan team approached the penalty box. Then, GOOOOOAAAAAL! Finally, after endless fouls and many attempts on goal, the Sandinista party won the elections in 2006.
Twenty years later, Nicaragua is still playing an epic game.
The country is unrecognizable: 50 new hospitals have been built and there is free universal access to healthcare; education is free, preschool through university; 5,000 kilometers of new roads have been built to connect the country; the economy is stable with 4 to 5% annual GDP growth. Nicaragua is at peace and is one of the safest countries in the region.
Today, the Nicaraguan people have the quality of life and dignity denied them under the Somoza dictatorship and stolen again during 16 years of neoliberalism.
Nothing Can Stop the Avalanche
On the eve of the 47th anniversary of Nicaragua’s Popular Sandinista Revolution, my family and I meet friends and walk down the main street in Managua where thousands of families like ours are celebrating. We attend a neighborhood vigil – one of hundreds around the country – where the carnival rides are full of ecstatic children and mouthwatering aromas drift out from the fritanga stalls to the crowd dancing in front of the stage to live revolutionary music.
Suddenly, from the speakers we hear bells tolling and fireworks explode overhead: it’s midnight.
“Happy New Revolutionary Year!” the lead singer shouts into the microphone. “Happy start of the 48th year of our Revolution!” The crowd raises its fists and sings along as the music crescendos:
“Nothing can stop the avalanche now / of a people who have made their decision / this is the war that has broken out / the protracted war against the oppressor.”
Nicaragua is still in the tournament, running circles around the opposing team. The U.S. players are diving, holding their ankles and crying foul with crocodile tears. But Nicaragua is one up on the score board and the stands are awash with red and black Sandinista flags.
Latin America may be playing a high stakes tournament, but the Nicaraguan underdogs are the giant-slayers who pulled off the upset of the century. Despite all odds, the Nicaraguan revolution still stands firm.
¡Viva Nicaragua Libre! Long live free Nicaragua!
