The report says Colombia’s football authorities have admitted they cannot stop supporters wearing the national-team shirt at non-commercial political events. They also reportedly regret seeing it used for causes outside sport, especially with the national side building toward the 2026 World Cup.
That matters because a national jersey is never just fabric. In football countries, it carries memory, pride and belonging. Once it starts to look tied to one candidate or one movement, it risks losing the neutrality that gives it power in the first place.
Reports suggest supporters of Abelardo de la Espriella have embraced the bright yellow jersey at rallies, while Cepeda has accused his rival of turning a shared symbol into partisan theatre. He reportedly called its use at political events an “opportunistic act”.
Yet the same report also says voices around Cepeda’s side may now be shifting. Campaign volunteer Raúl Cardona was quoted as saying: “We need to democratize the use of the jersey,” before adding, “And stop the rival campaign from monopolising this symbol.”
That is the trap. Once one side is seen to own a football image, the other often feels compelled to contest it rather than abandon it.
Football has seen this before. In other countries, national colours have drifted from terrace identity into ideological branding. When that happens, the game can become collateral damage in a culture war it never asked for.
The next thing to watch, ahead of the reported 21 June run-off, is whether the shirt remains a political prop - or whether Colombia can reclaim it as what it is meant to be: a symbol for everyone, not a badge for one campaign.