He may have been born in Colombia, but Juan Henao was made in Miami.

After moving to the Miami suburb of Doral at the age of 3, Henao quickly became obsessed with soccer and even went to Russia to watch the 2018 World Cup. Henao graduated with a degree in Sports Management from Florida International University before moving to Arizona in August.

However, he’s staying close to his Miami roots with Copa90’s ‘The Best Job in the World,’ a creator-led program to find the next generation of soccer storytellers. Out of the 5,000+ applicants, Henao was one of just five finalists selected to produce a documentary series, which focuses on how immigrants in Miami have transformed soccer fields into their own cultural sanctuaries.

Soccer America spoke to Henao about his project:

SA: How did you become interested in soccer?

JUAN HENAO: I grew up playing soccer, and then the 2014 FIFA World Cup happened, which started the obsession. I grew up in Doral, where everyone goes to play pickup soccer on the public fields … there are a lot of Venezuelans, Colombians, and Argentines. Ever since I was 11, it was non-stop playing pickup after school or on the weekends. Sometimes I’d play soccer in the morning and tell my mom, “I want to play more.” There’s nothing like it; you just go to the field and play pickup, you don’t worry about anything. It’s like therapy, you don’t worry about what’s going on in your life, you’re just playing with strangers that feel like your friends, because they’re from your same hometown. It feels like one big community, and it’s awesome.

SA: What was it like developing in a diverse melting pot like Miami?

JUAN HENAO: It was so cool growing up with so many different cultures. I loved it. You had all of these people from different countries, like Colombia and Haiti, and whenever there’s a World Cup, you get to see every community celebrate. In my application video for Copa90, I said, “When the ball gets rolling, all of these immigrants are back at home.” It’s been really special to document something that I’ve seen all of my life, talking to the right people and asking them, “How does soccer connect you back to your culture?” Oftentimes, you’re playing with strangers who happen to be of the same nationality, so it’s almost like a way to connect back to your family. It’s that same feeling of community that you get when you’re back in your ancestral homeland and visit your relatives for a week, and then you go a year without seeing them. When you get to play soccer, you get that feeling that you’re back in Colombia, you’re with your people, and for me, that’s always been very special about soccer. When you’re so far from family, it’s very tough, but playing soccer makes you feel better. Sometimes you’ll meet someone who reminds you of your dad, or your cousin, and that makes you think of your family.