For Portland’s soccer pros, their Hearts are with their home teams in the World Cup
Portland Hearts of Pine Players Share Their 2026 World Cup Rooting Interests
As the 2026 FIFA World Cup approaches, players on the Portland Hearts of Pine men's professional soccer team are sharing which nations they'll be cheering for — and the reasons behind those loyalties run deep.
The story of the squad's World Cup passions begins with midfielder Mikey Lopez, a Texas native who holds dual citizenship in the United States and Mexico. Both countries, along with Canada, are set to host the upcoming tournament. Lopez said his allegiance runs American-first, citing his parents and grandparents as sources of immense pride in being U.S. citizens. His connection runs deeper than heritage alone: Lopez represented the United States on its U-20 World Cup team back in 2013.
Yet his Mexican roots carry equal weight. "I've got two teams and hopefully one of them, or both of them, can do really well," Lopez said with a laugh. The prospect of the United States and Mexico somehow meeting in a July 19 final drew a knowing smile: "I can't lose either way. So I'm good."
For Ollie Wright, the Hearts of Pine's star midfielder and an all-USL League One second-team selection in 2025, the World Cup represents something different — a moment when the sport's fierce tribalism softens. Born in London, Wright knows the heated rivalries that define English football inside and out. But when the tournament arrives, those divisions dissolve. "Obviously, there are major rivalries in the UK, but the fans from every club come together for that month or two and support the team, and it's great to see," he said.
Wright also expressed genuine admiration for the world's elite players competing at the highest stage. "Honestly, a lot of admiration I have for the top players in the world coming together and competing at such a high level," he said. "It's something almost every kid dreams of playing in. Unfortunately I never reached those heights, but it's major admiration I have for the level those players keep themselves at." As a youth, Wright rooted for Argentina — a fondness rooted in his earliest memory of the tournament, watching the South Americans on television in a London pub alongside his mother.
Yuta Nomura, the Hearts of Pine's goalkeeper coach, brings an international perspective shaped by his native Tokyo and his professional career in Sweden. Naturally, he'll be supporting Japan, a country he believes has the tools to make a deep run. Nomura pointed to Japan's growing presence in the world's top leagues and recent victories over elite opponents like Brazil and England as reasons for optimism. Japan co-hosted the 2002 World Cup alongside South Korea, and Nomura sees momentum building.
Still, the upcoming group-stage clash between Japan and Sweden promises to be complicated. Nomura lived and played professionally in Sweden and maintains close ties to friends there. "I have a lot of friends in Sweden and I still talk to them," he said. "It's going to be a rivalry match, I guess."
The underdog spirit runs strong within the squad as well. Forward Walter Varela, now in his second season with Portland, grew up in Cape Verde before moving to the greater Boston area at age 20. He holds a special connection to his home nation's historic achievement: Cape Verde has qualified for the World Cup for the first time ever. Varela has firsthand knowledge of the talent driving that success, having been invited to Cape Verde's U16 national camp and trained alongside future stars including Jovane Cabral, one of the country's most dangerous offensive threats, and goalkeeper Marcio Rosa.
"I'm very proud of them," Varela said. "This is history. We've never done it before." His pride is tempered by realism, though: Cape Verde lands in Group H alongside heavy favorite Spain, Saudi Arabia, and Uruguay. "It's going to be a very, very tough group, but we'll see how it goes. I cannot predict how what we're going to do," he said.
First-year defender Serigne Mbacke Faye, known as Prince to his teammates, hails from Senegal and carries both personal and national stakes into this tournament. Senegal won the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final against Morocco 1-0, though that result was later overturned and Morocco was awarded the trophy by forfeit after Senegal's team briefly left the pitch in protest of a late penalty. When asked about the controversy, Mbacke Faye was unwavering: "the trophy is in Senegal." He also pointed to Senegal's rich World Cup pedigree — reaching the quarterfinals in their 2002 debut after upsetting defending champion France, and advancing out of the group stage in 2022 before falling in the round of 16.
For players like Lopez, Wright, and Varela, the dream of personally representing their home nations on the World Cup stage has passed. But for Mbacke Faye, who is seeing increased playing time with Portland at 6-foot-3, the goal remains alive. "Maybe next World Cup," he said with quiet determination.
Whether they're pulling for the United States, Mexico, Japan, Cape Verde, Senegal, Argentina, or England, the Hearts of Pine's international roster reflects the universal appeal of the world's most beloved game — and the ties that bind players to their homelands, even from the other side of the globe.
