US mom’s viral video of son in Jamaica jersey melts hearts online
A sweet moment between a mother and her four-year-old son has captured the hearts of hundreds of thousands online, especially Jamaicans.
Brenda Estrada, a mother of two based in Delaware in the United States, went viral in January after sharing a video of her son, Mateo, proudly putting on a Jamaican football jersey despite having no known Jamaican roots.
The clip, which has racked up more than 678,000 likes and continues to climb in views, shows the young boy confidently ‘repping’ the ‘Reggae Boyz’, prompting his mother to jokingly admit she “didn’t have the heart to break his little heart” by telling him he’s not Jamaican.
But Mateo’s love for Jamaica didn’t come out of nowhere.
Estrada told the Jamaica Observer that the family visited the island in April 2025, a trip which clearly left a lasting impression on her son.
“We visited Jamaica back in April 2025, and that’s where we picked up the shirt and he loved Jamaica,” she said, adding that he liked the jerk chicken. “After that, he would wear that shirt constantly. Unless it was in the wash, he would always ask for it.”
The now-viral moment, she explained, was completely unplanned.
“I was actually recording a video to send to his dad, and I just caught that moment,” she said.
Estrada added that Mateo’s passion for football also played a role in the interaction captured in the clip.
“He’s a big soccer fan. We watch soccer all the time, and his sister plays as well,” she shared.
“We go to see the Philadelphia Union, which is our local team, so he’s always been around the sport,” she added, referencing the US Major League Soccer club whose captain is long-standing Reggae Boyz goalkeeper Andre Blake.
The combination of his love for football and his memories of Jamaica made the moment feel natural and relatable to viewers around the world.
In the caption, Estrada wrote: “He may have been Jamaican in another lifetime… definitely need to go visit again.”
While Mateo has no Jamaican ancestry, Estrada said the response from Jamaicans has been overwhelmingly positive.
“The response has been amazing. Everyone has been so kind and welcoming,” she said.
She also shared a message for Jamaicans who have embraced her son online: “Thank you for all the love you’ve shown him. It really means a lot to us.”
With many now encouraging a return visit, Estrada says another trip to Jamaica may soon be in the making.
