How three fans are cycling from Argentina to Kansas City for FIFA World Cup
As Vicente Conculini pedaled through suburban Tulsa earlier this week, wearing the soccer colors of his native Argentina, a resident of the neighborhood shouted out encouragement, which ended with a “Messi!”
“People have been so nice in the U.S., and in other countries,” Conculini said. “You need food, water, here you go. We don’t have the words to describe it.”
Conculini, 29, and friends Miguel Silio, 56, Yamandú Martínez, 49, welcome all generosity as they reach the finishing stretch of a remarkable cycling journey that started on Aug. 16, 2025, in their hometown of Gualeguaychú, some 140 miles north of Buenos Aires.
They’ve covered some 10,000 miles, traversing through Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia before reaching the Darien Gap, separating Colombia and Panama and serving as the boundary between South and Central America.
There was no way to cycle through the remote, roadless crossing. They disassembled the bikes, flew across the border, picked up the journey in Panama and rode through Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala and Belize before entering Mexico.
On May 1, they crossed into the United States through Laredo, Texas. If the schedule holds up, they should arrive in Kansas City on June 7.
Why KC? Not only does Argentina play its first match on June 16 against Algeria at Kansas City Stadium (Arrowhead), the defending World Cup champion is setting up its base camp here and practicing at Compass Minerals National Performance Center, the training home of Sporting KC.
When the journey started, they didn’t know where Argentina would play. The sites were determined in December. They could already have been at their destination if Argentina had drawn games in Mexico City. Or they’d have to pedal double-time if they were assigned the opener in Vancouver, Canada.
Thousands of Argentinians will follow their team to Kansas City. None will have put in as much effort Conculini, Silio and Martinez.
“We felt like we needed to do this,” Conculini said. “It could be Messi’s last World Cup.”
The idea originated with Silio. In 2022, he cycled from Madrid to Qatar for the World Cup. Four years earlier, he rode his bike from Madrid to Moscow for the games.
“Like all Argentines, football is a passion, and it’s in our DNA,” Silio said during at interview as the trip started. “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.”
They’ve covered more than 100 miles in a day. Although this trip through Tulsa was a short one, about 25 miles.
Strapped to the bikes are about 80 pounds of gear, including tools, cooking utensils, sleeping bags, tents and more.
They’ve stayed in hotels, churches, homes, hostels and sometimes under the stars. They’ve powered through all types of weather and adventures.
In Colombia, they missed a car bomb explosion along their path by about 12 hours. They dined at Argentine embassies in Central America. In San Antonio, they met with former Spurs star and countryman Manu Ginobili and attended a Spurs playoff game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
They spent Christmas and other holidays on the road. Family has visited along the way, but mostly they’ve been on their own for what will be around 10 months.
Now they’re closing in on their destination. They’ll retire the bikes in Kansas City and look to follow Argentina to its other group stage games, scheduled for Arlington, Texas, and beyond.
Arrival plans in Kansas City remain in the formation stage, but the group said it would like to be joined by other cyclists for the final few miles.
Oh, and tickets. They don’t have tickets for Argentina’s opener. They tried through FIFA lotteries, but often found themselves with a spotty internet connections.
Another challenge to overcome on their long journey.