Woman Never Forgot Promise Made to Late Dad—20 Years Later She Fulfils It

Newsweek

19-07-2025

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
A woman has fulfilled a decades-old promise to her late father with the help of her husband, in a story which has moved thousands of people.
Aileen Castañeda-Leibenguth, 29, from Laredo in Texas, grew up with a love of soccer, or fútbol, instilled in her by her father, Juan Castañeda.
The father and daughter bonded over their love of the game, which Castañeda—born in the United States but who spent much of his early life in Mexico—had developed a "lifelong passion for" during his youth.
"He even played for a club team [in Monterrey, Mexico] in his youth," Castañeda-Leibenguth recalled to Newsweek.
Aileen Castañeda-Leibenguth at a game with a photo of her father, Juan Castañeda.
Aileen Castañeda-Leibenguth at a game with a photo of her father, Juan Castañeda.
Reddit u/Woofles_Fries505
"Later, he returned to the States for work — that's when he met my mom, a Mexican immigrant. They married and built their life together in Laredo, Texas, near the U.S.–Mexico border."
He's not alone in his love for the game, with soccer a massively popular sport worldwide.
According to a 2025 report from Statista, 89 percent of Brazilians follow the sport, followed by 85 percent in Spain, 84 percent in Britain, and 81 percent in Mexico.
When Castañeda-Leibenguth was growing up, she remembers soccer as being "one of the strongest bonds between my dad and me," from playing, practicing and cheering on matches together, particularly during the World Cup.
And, watching a match together when she was around seven or eight years old, a promise was made: "One day, we'll go to a World Cup game together—out there, in person."
But, as happens, "life got in the way."
Read more
Mom gardening in yard finds buried sword—then realizes what era it's from
Mom gardening in yard finds buried sword—then realizes what era it's from
"Financial struggles made that dream feel distant," she said. "So we continued watching from home, the dream deferred but never forgotten."
Tragically, in April 2021, at the age of 53, Castañeda died suddenly from a brain aneurysm, leaving a "deep void" in his family—and the unfulfilled promise "hung heavily" over his daughter.
But now, four years after her beloved father's death, Castañeda-Leibenguth finally got to attend an important match—with her father right by her side.
In a post to Reddit's r/wholesome sub on July 9 via her account u/Woodles_Fries505, Castañeda-Leibenguth shared a photo of herself at the Concacaf Gold Cup final between Mexico and the United States, which Mexico won by two goals to one.
She is beaming at the camera in the stadium filled with thousands of people—and holding a photo of her father.
"I took my dad to the match fulfilling a 20+ year promise," she captioned the photo.
She explained that she had told her husband, Mark, that she planned to watch the game on TV while he was working out of town. The game was taking place on a Sunday, and her father's birthday was on Monday, which she planned to mark by eating pizza and watching his favorite movies.
Castañeda-Leibenguth carries her father's photograph at the game between the USA and Mexico.
Castañeda-Leibenguth carries her father's photograph at the game between the USA and Mexico.
Reddit u/Woofles_Fries505
But Mark took things into his own hands: he found out the game was taking place in Houston, just a few hours from their home near Dallas, and encouraged his wife to go.
"My husband told me to go to the match instead," she wrote. "He convinced me by saying, 'I will be fulfilling the promise and you'll be celebrating his birthday by doing something he loved doing with you.'"
And as she put it to Newsweek: "Mark said, 'This is a sign from your dad. Go.'
"And I did. I went—for me, for my dad, for that little girl in Laredo who made a promise with love in her heart."
Redditors had a huge response to the story, awarding it more than 13,000 upvotes, one moved commenter writing: "I am tearing up. You and your husband are absolutely priceless. Dad absolutely was there with you. Sending you both my love!"
"I love this. I know he was right there with you," another said, as another praised her "amazingly thoughtful husband."
And as another shared: "Okay, I'm bawling now. This is such a beautiful story and an incredible way to honor your dad's memory. I'm so glad you had that experience. Your husband sounds like an amazing person."
Castañeda-Leibenguth said being Mexican-American today can "feel complicated, even painful," but when she was in the stadium, "surrounded by the rhythm of chants, flags, and passion on both sides of the border, I felt proud.
"I felt connected. I felt seen. And most of all, I felt my dad there with me.
"Promise kept, Dad."
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures you want to share? Send them to [e-mail] with some extra details, and they could appear on our website.