RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 1 sourcesJul. 30—The 2026 FIFA World Cup, which came to a close in mid-July, featured a Mexican men's national team that included Alaska's own Obed Vargas Jr.
The memories his family made watching him play on the world's biggest stage for the first time will last them a lifetime, even after Mexico's team was eliminated in the round of 16.
"This was a very, very special moment for me, for my family," Obed Vargas Sr. said. "I've been in love with the sport since I was a kid, and this is actually my first World Cup ever that I'm able to actually attend in a live game."
Attending a World Cup game in his home country of Mexico fulfilled a long-held dream, but the fact that his eldest son was on the Mexican national team made the experience even more special.
"It was an incredible experience," Vargas said. "The first time we saw our son in the Azteca Stadium and singing the national anthem, it was very, very special. The fans ... rooting for the team and for Mexico. It was something that I never experienced before in my entire life."
He and his wife, Marisol, went to all five games. There was only one game where all of their kids were present, however, since one of his daughters lives in Kansas City, Missouri, where she works as a nurse.
Vargas has a son and a daughter playing for club teams in Mexico. They were all in the stands for Mexico's game against England on July 5.
Vargas Sr., who is the office administrator with the Cook Inlet Soccer Club, grew up in Morelia, which is located between Mexico City and Guadalajara.
"That's where I played soccer when I was young," Vargas said. "I was in an academy for my professional team in my hometown. I never made it to the first team, but I played the third division level in Mexico. Soccer is in my genes. My dad played soccer much of his life up until he was almost 80 years old. So, soccer is in our genes. It runs in our genes on both sides."
All but one of the World Cup games his son played in took place in Mexico City. The second game was played in Guadalajara.
To see his son take the pitch in the country where Obed Sr. and Marisol were born was an emotional experience for them both.
"It's very special just to see the fans when the team goes from the training facility to the stadium. All the fans get out of their houses and out of their workplaces to support the team," Obed Vargas Sr. said. "It's something that I always saw on TV, not actually live."
From start to finish, they were in Mexico for nearly four weeks and traveled to different parts of the country to visit and travel with their other kids.
The farthest they had to travel was about five hours to San Luis Potosí, where their youngest son, Abad, plays for the Mexican professional football club Atlético de San Luis on the U19 squad.
"My in-laws still live down there, and my parents go back and forth, coming to Alaska too, and live in Mexico as well," Vargas said. "It was nice to see them as well in between the games, to spend a day or two with them and friends and other relatives."
When Vargas Jr. took the pitch for his first World Cup game — Mexico's 1-0 win over South Korea on June 18 to clinch the top spot in Group A — his family members let the significance of the moment wash over them.
"It was tears of joy from all of us and hugs," Vargas said. "It was a very emotional thing to see him playing live with the national team. It's one of the dreams come true for him, for us as a family. So it was very enjoyable."
A beacon for others to follow
This past year has been one of major milestones for 20-year-old Vargas Jr. and his family. In late August 2025, Vargas helped the Seattle Sounders win the Major League Soccer Leagues Cup, topping Miami and his childhood hero, Lionel Messi. Then earlier this year, he signed with Atletico Madrid in La Liga, one of the top club leagues in the world. Now, Vargas Jr. has added playing for Mexico in the World Cup to his resume.
"That was incredible also to watch," Vargas Sr. said. "I think that showed the growth of his play and as a player and as a person."
Vargas was with the Sounders organization for nearly six years, leaving Alaska at age 14 to join the team's development academy. Vargas Sr. said now that his son is playing in La Liga, based in Spain, he reminds his son that he'll need to increase his intensity to earn a larger role and make a name for himself globally.
"He's breaking into a brand-new team, new players, new coach, new style of soccer," Vargas Sr. said. "I think the style of soccer fits his style of play, but he knows that he needs to work harder now and stay focused and stay disciplined every single day because the level of soccer over there is your life. It's a life or death every day in training and games."
With this elevated status comes more responsibility to continue improving and setting an example for current and future generations of Alaskan and Mexican youth soccer players to follow.
"Soccer has been growing since I moved to Alaska, and I think Obed is putting a lot of light on the state of Alaska right now," Vargas Sr. said. "A lot of kids feel that they can achieve their goals now if they want to play a high level of professional soccer."
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