Colombia, court bans a presidential candidate from "using" the national team shirt

In Colombia, the court issued a decision banning a presidential candidate from using the jersey of the national football team as part of the election campaign, in the context of the presidential election in full swing, especially ahead of the 2026 World Cup. This decision concerns Abelardo de la Espriella, a member of the conservative party, who is running in the second round of the presidential election. The court determined that he could not continue to associate the Cafeteros team's uniform with his political image. The controversy began when left-wing candidate Iván Cepeda accused his opponent of "appropriating" the national team's symbol for election purposes, comparing it to a similar case in Brazil with Jair Bolsonaro in the past. The judge in Bogotá ordered De la Espriella to "immediately and permanently cease the use of the shirt as an identifying symbol of his party, campaign or personal image in public or in any media". The candidate, who won the first round and will participate in the second round of elections on June 21, is famous for often appearing publicly in Colombian uniform, an act seen by his supporters as a symbol of patriotism and closeness to the national team ahead of the World Cup hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.