Thousands of Colombians wore the national team's yellow jersey to polling stations on Sunday, but not to support their soccer squad. Instead, they backed Abelardo De La Espriella, a right-wing presidential candidate who urged supporters to adopt the iconic uniform as campaign attire. The move transformed Colombia's beloved soccer symbol into a partisan statement ahead of the June 17 World Cup kickoff.

De La Espriella, recently endorsed by President Trump, leveraged the jersey to project an everyman image while mobilizing voters. His nationalist platform promises to "defend the homeland" from drug traffickers and armed groups. The strategy paid off, propelling him to a runoff against left-wing rival Iván Cepeda after neither candidate secured the required 50% threshold in the first round.

Leftist senator Cepeda accused his opponent of "stealing" the national jersey for political gain, sparking heated debate. The Colombian Football Federation denounced the politicization while acknowledging it cannot restrict how citizens wear the shirts. Shop owners continue stocking the jerseys as the controversy intensifies.

This playbook mirrors tactics used across Latin America, where leaders from Brazil to Peru have weaponized soccer symbols for electoral advantage. The jersey's transformation from unifying emblem to political tool reveals how sports and politics increasingly intersect in volatile democracies, potentially reshaping public discourse ahead of both the runoff vote and Colombia's World Cup campaign.