Boy saved $2 per chore for four years. He just took his grandpa to the World Cup
Valentino Serna resisted the urge of buying toys so that he can attend the FIFA World Cup
Honest hard work definitely pays off, and 10-year-old Valentino Sanabria Serna from Boca Raton, Florida, is proof of it. Valentino had always been a soccer superfan ever since he was just two years old. His dream to attend a live World Cup match began in 2022, after he saw Uruguay win a game. His mother, Carolina Serna, offered him $2 for every chore he helped with around the house. If he managed to save up enough money, she told him he could watch the FIFA World Cup live, reported PEOPLE in a June 16, 2026 report. Determined, he spent four years waking up early, working hard, and saving more than $600 to turn his dreams into a reality.
$2 a day to get to the stadium
Valentino told NBC 6 South Florida what made him want to watch a game live, "I loved the atmosphere. Everyone was chanting and having fun, and I wanted to be there." He promised himself that he would watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup live, and stuck to it. He told PEOPLE how he managed to raise $600, "So every day before school, I would wake up at 6 a.m. and make my bed, prepare my breakfast, take out the trash, wash the dishes." On good days, Valentino earned as much as $10. He saved all of the cash in a wallet that got "stuffed up" after he kept adding his earnings. Carolina also shared that his money came from "every birthday gift he’s ever gotten...every holiday when his uncle would give him money to spend, he saved it all."
Determined not to spend on toys
Finally, when the World Cup arrived, Valentino was ecstatic to know that he had saved up enough to buy tickets for himself, his mom, and his grandfather. He described his first reaction, "I was screaming. I was running around the house. I was so happy. Oh my God. I jumped in the pool. I started doing flips all around the house. I was crazy happy." He admitted that he was tempted to take out some cash from time to time, but knew he would not reach his goal if he did. "I couldn’t because I knew that it’d all be worth it to go to the World Cup," Valentino said.
Gifting families the World Cup experience
Valentino is not the only one who used his savings to take his family to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Jacob Allmendinger from North Ferriby, East Yorkshire, had used £10,000 ($13,397), which he saved for a house deposit to take his grandfather to the World Cup. His reason for choosing the game over the house was, "The choice was between this or a house deposit, and I don't regret choosing it at all. You can make the money back, but memories are forever." Surprisingly, after his story went viral, he received back every single cent from an online crypto casino as a gift. After the incident, Allmendinger spoke to the BBC and said, "I think it just resonates with people. I've had people reach out who have lost their grandparents and how they wish they'd done something similar."
One final goal before the World Cup ends
During his interview with NBC 6, Valentino shared, "I play left wing or right wing. Sometimes striker, but I like the left wing. I’m fast and good at dribbling." He attended the Uruguay vs. Saudi Arabia game on June 15 with his mother and the Uruguay vs. Cape Verde match on June 22 with his grandfather. He also shared that his current goal was to save enough money so he go could watch the final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. "I'm still earning money, and I still want to see if I can go to any more games. If I can go to the finals, that'd be amazing. That's my dream!" Valentino declared.
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