Mexican fans take cardboard friend to the World Cup

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Among the throng of Mexican soccer fans cheering for their national team at the 2018 FIFA World Cup held in Russia, a group of young men have shot to internet fame after posting photos of them traveling with a life-size cardboard of their friend who failed to join the squad because his girlfriend didn’t let him go.

Javier's friends brought him to the FIFA fan's festival in Russia. /Photo via Facebook

After the 2014 World Cup, five amigos from northwest Mexico’s Durango were inspired to start the road trip of a lifetime by traveling together to the next tournament. To prepare themselves for the long journey, the group even saved up and bought a van, painting it with colorful motifs representing Mexican culture.

The group decorated their van with colorful motifs representing Mexico cultures. /VCG Photo

The preparation went smoothly until one of the friends Javier dropped out. Two months before the World Cup, Javier told his friend that his girlfriend didn’t allow him to go.

“As you know, my girlfriend didn’t let me go,” Javier made a short video reporting the bad news to his fellows. “When she says ‘no’, it’s a ‘no’.”

The friends had no choice but departed without Javier. In April, the group of four left Mexico boarding on a ship with their van to Spain. From there, they would drive all the way to Russia.

They didn’t forget about Javier. One week before the group arrived in Russia, they came up with an innovative way of bringing Javier along – by creating a life-size cardboard cutout of their friend and taking him wherever they go.

The friends taking a picture with cardbaord cutout of Javier on their road trip. /Photo via Facebook

“His girlfriend did not let him come on the trip, so we brought him by force,” the four friends announced and posted pictures of the cardboard version of Javier on the team’s Facebook page. The left-behind friend was shown putting on a grumpy face and wearing a T-shirt with a slogan saying “my woman doesn’t let me [go].”

Since arriving in Russia on June 13, the friends have taken cardboard Javier to the stadium, the local bars and the fan festivals, making sure he didn’t miss out.

Soccer fans in Moscow gathered to take photos with the cardboar Javier. /Photo via Facebook

On June 17, when Mexico beat defending champions Germany, the four amigos brought the cardboard Javier to witness the team’s victory. The paper man, the squad and their van has since become famous among football fans in Russia and around the world.