For Nico Aviña, soccer has never been just a game.
It’s a sport he’s been playing since he was 5 years old, and Aviña grew up collecting jerseys from his favorite teams and idolizing soccer legends like Diego Maradona, who outwardly expressed his political views on and off the pitch. The jerseys Aviña makes and wears today carry the same spirit.
“Soccer is political…whether people want to admit it or not, to me it is,” Aviña said.
At Espacio 1839 in Boyle Heights, Aviña transforms vintage soccer jerseys into wearable political statements. Silk-screened images of La Virgen de Guadalupe or Aztec deities with statements like, “No one is illegal on stolen land” and “Chinga la migra” have been worn during protests, inside Board of Supervisors chambers, in graduation photos and on the field during charity soccer games. As Los Angeles prepares to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup this summer, one year after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids took hold of the city, Aviña wants his work to spread a message that is loud and unequivocally clear.
Inside his shop, Aviña engages in conversation with a customer about the history of Chicanismo. He’s wearing a green vintage soccer jersey that he customized himself. On the chest is an image of La Virgencita. Across the back, a large phrase printed in Old English lettering reads, “Cuidame de la envidia.” Protect me from envy.
It’s one of hundreds of soccer jerseys that Aviña has personalized, fusing soccer culture with words criticizing ICE operations, racism and xenophobia in the U.S. and abroad.
How it kicked off
In 2018, Aviña blended his love for soccer and art by creating the first version of a silk-screened jersey with the imagery of La Virgen. On the back, he printed a message that said, “No one is illegal on stolen land.” At the time, the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” policy was separating immigrant families at the border.
“An artist’s duty is to uplift the sentiment of the community,” Aviña said. “The jerseys are reflective of that as well.”
The jerseys quickly and surprisingly garnered attention online, Aviña said. Since then, his designs have evolved to include more Indigenous imagery and politically relevant messages and have reached corners of the world he never imagined.
Spreading a message with a global reach
In the store, customers sift through a rack of jerseys from Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and other international teams. A few of the Mexico National Team jerseys feature the image of a Mexican Zapatista and a Palestinian. Below the image, text that Aviña hand-etched and printed reads, “From Palestine to Mexico.” On the back, in the same Old English lettering, is the message, “All the walls have got to go.”
“It’s about making that connection to the people’s struggle,” Aviña said.
People from all around the world, including Brazil, Australia, and Europe, have asked to buy the shirts, and though he does not ship internationally, they have been sent as far as Chicago and New York.
“I think it becomes a way to speak without speaking,” Aviña said. “If you’re out there walking on the street and you’re wearing a soccer shirt that on the back says ‘No one is illegal on stolen land,’ you’re not even having to explain yourself.”
Edgar Reyes was visiting Los Angeles from Baltimore and stopped into Espacio 1839 after seeing the jerseys online. Reyes is an art professor at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and has shown his students Aviña’s work in class.
Fashion has historically been used to push back against oppressive systems, Reyes said, pointing to the zoot suits of the 1930s and ‘40s as an example of the intersection of fashion, politics and activism.
“Authentically showing up is a form of resistance,” Reyes said. “Showing up in a space with this (jersey) is very unapologetically you.”
Victoria Martinez was immediately drawn to the rack of shirts when she walked into Espacio 1839 moments later.
“We’ve got FIFA coming up,” said Martinez as she examined the collection, “(It gives me) chills when you think of what he’s writing on this and what our current world state is.”
‘Soccer is the people’s sport’
Aviña’s choice to source vintage, replica jerseys is meticulous and intentional. Not only are “bootleg” jerseys cheaper, they also represent resistance against efforts to privatize and commodify one of the oldest sports in history, he said.
As Los Angeles prepares for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which is expected to generate $594 million in economic impact for the city, advocates have urged FIFA and local officials to protect fans from ICE during the games.
“We’re having a World Cup in a place where, politically, it’s a fascist regime,” he said. Aviña criticized players who, unlike Maradona, have failed to take political stances or speak up against injustice.
In LA, it’s been supporter groups like PodeRosas ACFC and Lxs Tigres del North End LAFC that have spoken out and taken a clear stance on the issues affecting immigrant communities and more.
Outside of Espacio 1839, Aviña also forms part of a soccer collective and nonprofit called the People’s Football Club, which organizes community pickup fundraiser games in support of various causes, including Middle Eastern Children’s Alliance, Gender Justice LA, the TransLatina Coalition and organizations assisting people affected by ICE raids.
“Soccer is the people’s sport,” Aviña said, and his jerseys represent an effort to reclaim that idea. “All you need is the ball and your imagination.”
