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For many in Kansas City, soccer is more than just a sport. It is culture, community and, for some, a pathway to something bigger.
Copa de Calle turned the streets of West Bottoms into a soccer festival, bringing together players of all ages and backgrounds, including Isaias Carmona.
"You can say (it) is not just a sport, (it) is like life," Carmona said.
"This just shows all the passion and all the hunger from all these people — even like young, even older people — coming out to play just shows the love for the sport and how it can bring people together from different cultures," Carmona said.
The tournament was created by Valeria Espadas Ibarria, who launched it last year with the midwest in mind.
"There's so much street soccer on the coast, but the midwest is wide open for us, so I said we need to put street soccer (here), because there's soccer culture here, we're here for it," Espadas Ibarria said.
Copa de Calle is about more than competition. The event also serves as a fundraiser for Ryogoku Soccer Academy, a Northeast Kansas City program helping young players through soccer, education and community support.
“We just love supporting community. We love making sure the kids have (access) to free activities, things that take them out of the streets into a different street. Into sports — into something that they can focus and harness into," Nguyen said.
Brad Leonard Director of Ryogoku Soccer Academy said events like this helps his students continue to play.
"We want to make sure that all the pathways possible are available for these young men. That includes soccer, that includes academics and that includes community work," Leonard said.
Organizers said the event comes at the perfect time, with the FIFA World Cup set to arrive in Kansas City next month.
"We all got to like show the world that there's soccer in KC," Espadas Ibarria said.
As the city prepares for a global spotlight, the tournament is about putting Kansas City's soccer passion on display.
"El fútbol. Every day I play it, every day I think about, every day I try to learn from it and how it can help me in life," Carmona said.
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