The year was 2016. Aspiring journalist Maria-Isabelle Parada was in the stands at MetLife Stadium with her family, watching Colombia play in the Copa América soccer tournament. As the crowd roared when it came time for penalties, the Brooklyn College journalism student had the idea to use the new Facebook Live feature for a play-by-play of the match.
“It went on to penalties, so I started telling everybody what was going on, and everybody started commenting and loving it,” recalls the current Queens resident. “I started interviewing some fans, and I was like, ‘This makes me so happy. I wanna do this for the rest of my life!’”
Today, she’s the bilingual content creator behind SportsGirlNYC. Her platform contains interviews with fans and players plus live recaps of different sports and teams in NYC—in both English and Spanish.
"I noticed that there was not a lot of Spanish [about] sports. So I was like, ‘Oh, I want to do that,’ because I wanted my parents to learn about [American] football and basketball."
While she insists that picking a favorite sport is like picking a favorite child, soccer has a special place in her heart. As the World Cup makes its way to New York City, Maria-Isabelle is gearing up to get viewers excited about the sport, even partnering with NYC Tourism to provide boots-on-the-ground coverage of the festivities throughout the City.
“I like the energy around the World Cup and how everybody feels so proud of their country,” she says. “Nobody cares about your political affiliation, your religion—everybody from that country is united to one goal, which is for their team to win.”
We sat down with Maria-Isabelle to talk about building a career born from passion, what the World Cup means to her community and the NYC spots you need to know.
Maria-Isabelle at Smithfield Hall in Manhattan
How does your Colombian heritage inspire your love of soccer?
Maria-Isabelle: I basically only knew soccer growing up. I knew other sports existed, but I didn’t know the competitiveness of other sports besides the Olympics.
When I was very little, Colombia played in the Copa América. I didn’t know what was going on, but it was the final, and people were glued to their TVs. When Colombia won, we all went to the streets to celebrate. The country seemed so united. I felt happy.
In 2014, when Colombia made it to the World Cup, we had been living here for about seven years. I felt such joy. [Watching the game] felt like a 90-minute vacation where I forgot all my problems and only wanted Colombia to win. The Colombia Men’s National Team was like a bridge to my heritage. It was my first love of sports.
How did you get started as a sports journalist?
Maria-Isabelle: I decided to fully commit around 2018. I had one mentor who told me I had to know all sports, and he started teaching me about American football. I had a boyfriend who took me to Mets [baseball] games. I met another woman who took me to tennis.
In 2021, I had a couple of jobs—I worked as a social media manager for a lawyer—but I always had in mind that I wanted to be a sports journalist. And slowly, I started using my social media to interview fans and go to games. Then I stopped working for the lawyer and decided to do this more seriously. I kept doing it, kept learning. Then I started getting brand deals.
On the way back to Astoria
What has been the most exciting part of your career so far?
Maria-Isabelle: In 2023, I covered the New York Knicks on the court. Knowing more about the Knicks and how much the culture has grown, I think it would be nice to do it again.
With NYNJ Stadium (MetLife) hosting eight matches for the FIFA World Cup, including the final, what does this moment mean to you? And to your family?
Maria-Isabelle: It means a lot. I think New York is the best city to watch the World Cup because of its diversity.
During the 2022 World Cup, I went to different bars for different cultures—Croatian, Moroccan, French, German—and I never felt out of place. That’s my favorite thing about New York City: you can find people from different countries and cultures everywhere. Growing up in Queens helped me open my mind and be able to relate with everyone, learn about other sports, other cultures, all of that.
I know the World Cup is going to impact everybody—not just my family. For a lot of immigrants and people who cannot travel outside the United States, this is their opportunity to experience this event. When our team plays, and the national anthem plays, and everybody’s singing, you feel emotional. It’s going to be huge.
Maria-Isabelle and her mother, Clara Cordoba, at Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden in Astoria
You also mentioned your mom is volunteering for the World Cup.
Maria-Isabelle: My mom loves the World Cup. When she told me she heard about volunteering for the World Cup, I said, “I don’t want you to work for free.” But then FIFA invited me to the opening of their first volunteer center here in New York City, and I saw past volunteers, and they were so happy. I thought, Why would I rob my mom of this opportunity?
She received the email saying she was chosen, went to training, and she’s going to be an ambassador for the City guiding visitors around one of the fan fests. She loves to help people.
Maria-Isabelle and her family at Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden
So, how do you think the World Cup will transform soccer culture in New York?
Maria-Isabelle: I know a lot of people who didn’t grow up watching soccer see it as boring. I hope they understand it’s more than the game itself on the field. Hopefully, the US plays well so people can feel proud of them. And I hope they catch that feeling—the joy, the dance outside the stadium, the sense of unity across cultures—and they can see why people love soccer so much, and then start supporting their local club.
I hope that things calm down, that people who really want to be at the final can be there, and that kids can see soccer as more than just a game, because it’s a cultural change.
Maria-Isabelle in her Astoria neighborhood
Can you tell me more about what it was like growing up in Queens?
Maria-Isabelle: Queens is the world’s borough. I grew up there, but funny enough, I didn’t grow up in the Latino neighborhoods. I think that impacted my life by allowing me to Americanize myself more. But since Copa America, I’ve been going back to my roots. I’m part of a Colombian group chat right now. We talk every day, and they’ve made me feel so welcome.
Do you have any bar or watch-party recommendations for people who can’t make it to the games but still want to feel the energy?
Maria-Isabelle: I really like Bohemian Hall in Astoria. Legends in Midtown Manhattan is good too. Honestly, a lot of places are opening up; Germany is going to have a House of Germany. There will be fan fests at Rockefeller Center, at Flushing Meadows, and the mayor is announcing others. Brooklyn’s going to have cool things. You just have to go around; there will be watch parties everywhere!