Jun 21, 2026
Valentino Sanabria is living the dream of any soccer fan. The 10-year old from Boca Raton, Florida is attending two World Cup matches this summer, where he’ll see his beloved Uruguay play.
But the story about how he earned the money to attend the matches in the first place is one parents worldwide will rejoice in.
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Sanabria was six when he decided he wanted to save money to watch the World Cup in person in North America. Hosting responsibilities for this iteration of the tournament are split between the U.S., Mexico, and Canada.
Back then, the 2022 World Cup was hosted by Qatar. He had just finished watching Uruguay win a match at the tournament when he informed his mom, Carolina, about his master plan. So, she made him a deal: For every chore he completed, she would give him $2 that he could put towards tickets.
“So every day before school, I would wake up at 6 a.m. and make my bed, prepare my breakfast, take out the trash, wash the dishes,” he told People in an interview.
Fast forward to 2026, he had saved over $600 by doing chores and also saved holiday and birthday gifts. With that money, he purchased two pairs of tickets to Uruguay’s matches against Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde on June 15 and June 21 in Miami.
“Oh my God. I jumped in the pool. I started doing flips all around the house. I was crazy happy,” he said.
Training with the pros
Valentino has always had a passion for soccer, his mother told People. By the time he was six, he didn’t want to play any other sport.
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He now plays for a youth travel team where he plays as an attacker, either as a winger or a striker. He dreams of one day becoming a professional.
On June 11, his team got a chance to play against professionals when they participated in a scrimmage against the Curacao national team, who were training at nearby Florida Atlantic University.
That experience followed the opportunity Valentino had to meet the Uruguayan national team two years ago when the team was in Miami for the 2024 Copa America — an international tournament organized by CONMEBOL, South America’s soccer governing body.
His love for Uruguay stems from his father, who lives in the country, as well as other family members, he said.
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World Cup Final in the cards?
Valentino continues to dream big. He has ambitions of attending the World Cup Final in New York New Jersey Stadium on July 19.
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“If I can go to the finals, that’d be amazing,” he told People. “That’s my dream!”
Unfortunately, he’ll need to do a lot more chores in order to afford the tickets. Currently, the cheapest ticket for the final is $11,023, according to StubHub listings reviewed by Moneywise on June 21.
Even if he doesn’t make it, Valentino will have achieved his goal of watching two matches at the World Cup — a momentous achievement especially amidst worldwide criticism that FIFA has priced out everyday fans.
Valentino has also taught the rest of the world a lesson on how to properly save for a fun expense using a sinking fund.
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Danni Santana is a journalist based out of New York City with a decade of experience reporting and editing business stories about retail, restaurants, sports, and personal finance.
