A proud granddaughter fulfilled a childhood promise by surprising her grandfather with tickets to see the World Cup – and his favorite player, Cristiano Ronaldo.
When Alexandra Canedo, 26, was growing up, her grandfather, Oscar Rodríguez, 67, acted more like a father figure and fostered her love of soccer.
Even though she admits she’s not great at playing the game, Oscar’s influence meant that Alexandra, from Houston, Texas, later traveled overseas to watch professional soccer after high school.
But Oscar has always been private and rarely travels, Alexandra said, so she kept in the back of her mind a promise she had made to him many times as a child, that she would take him to see the World Cup one day.
With Houston hosting games during this year’s tournament, Alexandra thought she would not get a better opportunity.
Her grandfather’s favorite player is Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo, and with Portugal playing a game against DR Congo in Houston, Alexandra purchased tickets.
Then, on April 18, Alexandra decided to surprise her grandfather on her sister’s birthday, so that he would not suspect a thing.
She arrived in a raincoat, which she then took off to reveal a Ronaldo jersey she was wearing.
Alexandra asked her grandfather if he liked it, and when she received a yes, she encouraged him to look in a gift bag she presented to him, which contained a Ronadlo jersey for Oscar, too, and broke the news that they would be going to a game.
Oscar is a man of few words, Alexandra said, but when presented with the gift a smile beamed across his face and he had a tear in his eye, affirming the significance of Alexandra’s gesture.
The 26-year-old later shared a video of the moment on social media, where it soon went viral.
She said: “As I took off my raincoat I asked him if he liked my jersey and he said yes, then I told him, ‘Well, I bought you something.’
“As he was opening the gift, I showed him our tickets and told him that we were going to the World Cup.
“We will be watching Portugal and Congo playing against each other here in Houston.
“My grandfather isn’t a man of many words or much emotion but seeing his face light up and his bright smile with tears in his eyes made me feel an immense amount of happiness.
“He is the sole reason why I decided to play soccer in high school, even though I wasn’t the best at it.
“After high school, I went abroad to attend soccer games and always wished he was with me.
“Soccer has always been something special, and with the World Cup coming to Houston, it felt like the perfect once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
