Colombia have reached the last 16 of the 2026 World Cup and, on Tuesday, will face Switzerland in Vancouver as they attempt to reach their first quarter-final in 12 years. Much of the coverage has centred not only on Néstor Lorenzo's side but on their travelling supporters, whose vast, colourful presence — dubbed "yellow fever" — has followed the team north through Mexico City, Guadalajara, Miami and Kansas City, filling stadiums and unsettling opponents.

Opposition managers have openly acknowledged the impact of the support: Portugal's Roberto Martínez spoke of the challenge of effectively playing "away from home" in Miami, while Ghana's Carlos Queiroz described Colombia's fans as a "12th man" that rattled his inexperienced players in front of 60,000 largely yellow-clad spectators. The article profiles the Mila family, who have driven more than 7,000 miles in a rented mini van, funding the trip by selling merchandise, and it notes a domestic controversy in which the Colombia shirt became a political flashpoint during the country's presidential election, worn by right-wing president-elect Abelardo de la Espriella and objected to by his left-wing rival Iván Cepeda, who later wore it himself.