José Néstor Pékerman was greeted like a man who never really left the game. A video that spread widely on social media showed him on a flight between Miami and Ciudad de México, as passengers moved toward him to ask for photos, autographs and a few minutes of conversation.
He answered with a smile and a familiarity that made the moment land beyond the cabin. For Colombian fans, the scene carried extra weight because Pékerman is still remembered as one of the most cherished figures in recent football history, even though he has long since stepped away from the bench.
The renewed attention comes as Telemundo announced Pékerman as one of the analysts and experts for its Mundial 2026 coverage. He will join Andrés Guardado, Antonio Valencia, Guti and Julio César Dely Valdés, giving the network a panel built around former players and coaches for the tournament.
That reception is rooted in what Pékerman meant to Colombia. He coached the team from 2012 to 2018, managed 78 matches and left with 43 victories, 17 draws and 18 defeats. More important to supporters, he led Colombia back to the World Cup after 16 years away, then carried the side to the quarterfinals in Brasil 2014 and the round of 16 in Rusia 2018. Along the way, he helped shape players such as James Rodríguez, Juan Guillermo Cuadrado and David Ospina.
The unanswered detail is why he was traveling between Miami and Ciudad de México at all. That gap has not changed the reaction around him, though. The flight video showed that in the minds of many Colombian supporters, Pékerman is still not just a former coach but part of the country’s most memorable modern run, and now he is heading back into the World Cup conversation in front of a wider audience.
