They set forth Aug. 16, 2025, on a 10,000-mile journey that took them through 17 countries, mountains, deserts, harsh weather — and their life savings. But for Vicente Conculini, Yamundu Martínez and Miguel Silio, the adventure was well worth the time and effort in order to follow their national team, led by Lionel Messi, during the 2026 World Cup.
“You have to be a little crazy to go on this kind of adventure,” Conculini told KQ2 in Kansas City.
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There was one rule, at least for Silio to abide by.
“Miguel’s wife only gave him one year to be away from home — he can’t go beyond that,” Conculini said.
The three friends hail from Gualeguaychú, Argentina, and share soccer, traveling and biking as passions. They traveled through Uruguay, Brazil and Colombia, among many other countries. But it hasn’t all been via bicycle. The Darien Gap between Colombia and Panama gave them no way to get across, so they flew over the border and restarted in Panama before crossing Central America.
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It wasn’t until May 1 that they finally reached the United States through Laredo, Texas, still nearly 1,000 miles from their destination. On Tuesday, the trio finally arrived in Kansas City, joined by other riders in the area as they reached Argentina’s team hotel.
There was only one thing left to do when they got off their bikes knowing it was mission accomplished: a champagne celebration.
There will be six World Cup matches at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. Argentina-Algeria will be the first game to take place at the home of the NFL’s Chiefs.
The reigning World Cup champions have also set up base camp in the city and will finish group play with two matches at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. It is possible Argentina could have a second match in Kansas City in the knockout stages.
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Planning from experience
Long biking trips aren’t anything new for Silio. In the lead-up to the 2022 World Cup, he biked from Madrid to Qatar. He rode from Madrid to Moscow for the 2018 tournament.
“Like all Argentines, football is a passion, and it’s in our DNA,” Silio told the Kansas City Star in August.. “Having cycled to Qatar and seen Argentina win the World Cup, I almost feel responsible for this. So we’re going to try and do it again.”
Conculini, 29, and Martínez, 49, left their jobs, while the 56-year-old Silio, the only married one of the three, still works as a notary remotely. Their collective savings has helped fund this trip, which has been four years in the making.
The planning began after Messi and Argentina lifted the World Cup trophy in December 2022. They mapped out the journey, the type of weather they would likely have to deal with, and the safest routes along the way.
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The three rode about 100 miles a day with 80 pound of gear, which included cooking utensils, sleeping bags, tents and tools. They didn’t always use the sleeping bags. After their story began circulating, people reached out to offer them their homes for a place to stay, a fresh meal and to clean up. Hotels, hostels and churches also provided rest stops along the way.
“The journey is the road itself. The final destination is only the finish line, but along the way you live, look around, enjoy and discover the places you travel through — that’s what it’s all about,” Silio said.
Despite missing holidays, such as Christmas, there have been perks, like the time they met up with fellow Argentine Manu Ginóbili and took in a San Antonio Spurs playoff game.
There has also been danger, like when they rode close to the site of a car bomb attack in Colombia or when they were stuck near a prison riot in Ecuador before being contacted by the Argentine consulate to leave the area.
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While their 10,000-mile journey is over, there’s still one important task left for them to do: acquire match tickets.
Yes, that’s right. They are not in possession of tickets for the Argentina-Algeria match on June 16. The FIFA lottery was unsuccessful for them, but given how much their story has blown up, someone out there will surely step up and get them into Arrowhead Stadium.
The 2026 World Cup will be a historic one. It will feature the largest field with 48 teams and, should the trio’s dreams come true, they could see Argentina become the first repeat champions since Pelé’s Brazil in 1958 and 1962.
“In Argentina, soccer is part of your identity,” Conculini said. “And this could be Messi’s final World Cup. We couldn’t miss it.”
