If Grêmio’s anthem immortalized the verse “even on foot we will go” in 1953, Gaucho fan Guilherme Martin, 33, showed that it is also possible to follow the team in a Beetle — and from afar.
The Grêmio player, who accompanied the club traveling around South America by car, expanded his itinerary this year and has already traveled more than 20 thousand kilometers to watch the Brazilian team’s games in the World Cup, in the United States.
Owner of the project “Até de Fusca Nós Ivamos”, Martin left Porto Alegre, in Rio Grande do Sul, at the beginning of March. Since then, he has passed through 13 countries until reaching American lands.
The project began in 2024, when the gaucho decided to follow the club through South America. The first destination was La Paz, Bolivia, in a match against The Strongest in the Copa Libertadores.
“By the end of last year, I had already covered more than 80 thousand kilometers walking through Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia and Peru, as well as almost all Brazilian states to see Grêmio’s games in Series A”, said Martin in an interview with Sheet.
The fan’s relationship with football began in childhood. Son of Colorado parents, he started going to the old Olympic stadium with friends when he was 10 years old.
“In the 90s, Grêmio won a lot of titles and the kids on my street were Grêmio fans. I think I ended up being influenced by that. When Grêmio is doing badly, my family makes fun of it.”
Over the years, trips to the stadium in the Azenha neighborhood, in the capital of Rio Grande do Sul, turned into trips to follow the team, recalls the gaúcho.
“When I started working and having my money, I started traveling to see Grêmio games. I started in the interior of the state in the regional championships, then I went to the first game outside of Rio Grande do Sul and then to the Libertadores matches. I always liked traveling to see Grêmio games by bus or plane, when possible.”
The project’s story, however, almost ended just a few months after it began. On a trip to Argentina, a stone thrown by a truck hit the Beetle’s windshield and forced Martin to seek repairs in Buenos Aires.
To raise money, he decided to sell a miniature of the Libertadores cup bought near La Bombonera, Boca Juniors’ stadium. The initiative mobilized around 50 followers on Instagram.
When crossing the border between Argentina and Uruguay, the authorities understood that he was transporting the merchandise for irregular marketing. The model was seized, and the Beetle was also detained.
“I bought my first Beetle in 2021 and lost it at the border in June 2024. In August, I bought another one, which is the one I use today, to continue my project”, says Martin.
The previous vehicle was only recovered this year, in February, when he managed to regularize the situation.
The second Beetle chosen by the Grêmio fan is a 1971 model and has blue paint in honor of the gaucho tricolor. The hood is stickered with the team’s badge. The doors bear the project’s logo, and the ceiling features a Brazilian flag.
The plan to take the Beetle to the World Cup depended on the approval of the American visa. With the document in hand in June last year, the fan began organizing the trip that would cross the continent towards the United States.
“In the end, I researched on the internet and saw that it wasn’t that complicated. At the vast majority of borders, they ask for a passport and car ID. There [EUA]you have to take out insurance and a temporary import document to cross the country. Each country charges a fee”, says Martin.
The initial estimate to finance the trip was R$80,000. According to the gaucho, the expenses were between R$80,000 and R$90,000 just on the way there, not counting the return to Brazil after the World Cup.
Virtual kitty
To finance the adventure, Martin used personal savings, opened a virtual fundraiser and promoted sweepstakes on social media.
Today, he works as a content creator and has more than 178 thousand followers, who follow travel records. Previously, he worked as a poker dealer in competitions.
“I plan to drive 500 to 600 kilometers a day. At night, I look for gas stations to stop safely and take a shower.” The average speed of the car on trips remains at 80 km/h.
Along the way, he counted on the help of friends and followers who welcomed him into their homes in countries like Chile, Colombia, Panama and Costa Rica. Accommodation helped reduce journey costs.
To cross the stretch between Colombia and Panama, the Beetle was transported in a container. Martin crossed the San Blas Islands in the Caribbean on a sailboat, thanks to a partnership with a local company.
“The hardest part for me was Mexico, because there aren’t many stops there. I didn’t take a shower for up to three days. The saddest thing in the world,” he says.
Setbacks on the route
Perrengues also marked Martin’s trip. In Argentina, two rear tires burst at the same time after the Beetle went through a hole.
In Colombia, Martin had his cell phone and drone stolen, in addition to experiencing brake failures, which were repeated in Mexico.
In Panama, the breakage of the screws that supported the gearbox left it idle for four days.
Upon arriving in the United States, he still had to deal with a major oil spill.
The fan crossed the United States border on June 3 and arrived in New York on the 9th.
Without tickets purchased until then, he obtained tickets for the Brazilian team’s matches as a representative of Grêmio’s young fans in the Movimento Verde e Amarelo, linked to the União das Torcidas. According to him, the tickets were purchased at below market prices.
The intention is to remain in the country until the end of the World Cup even if Brazil does not advance in the competition.
Afterwards, the gaucho must travel the historic route 66, passing through California, before starting the return to Porto Alegre.
