Overview
- President Gustavo Petro spoke to the national team during the boarding before their World Cup departure on June 4 and had his daughter Antonella greet the players, an encounter that players visibly received with discomfort.
- Captain James Rodríguez refused to take a photo or say goodbye to Antonella at the ceremony, a gesture that was widely noticed and polarised online commentary.
- Supporters of Petro then targeted some players on social media for not appearing to participate in the political moment, prompting the Colombian Football Federation to publish a statement condemning aggression, harassment and defamation against athletes and their families.
- Petro later reposted a 2024 photograph of defender Yerry Mina with former president Álvaro Uribe and captioned it 'Dignidade ou nostalgia dos nobres proprietários de escravos,' a move that revived earlier claims that the image carried racialized connotations.
- The episode is unfolding as Colombia prepares for a June 21 presidential runoff between Abelardo de la Espriella and Iván Cepeda and is likely to keep athletes in the spotlight as symbols and targets in an increasingly polarized campaign.