It all started because nobody wanted to play football alone
In 2025, a group of people in Lima had the same problem: they'd arrived in the city — some for work, others on exchange, others as digital nomads — and didn't know anyone. Facebook groups had 15,000 members and zero real activities. Meetup-style apps had events where you'd go once and never see anyone again.
Someone said: "I just want to play football on a Tuesday." And that was enough.
The first game
The first football game was at Costa Verde, Miraflores. 8 people from 5 countries showed up. There was no logo, no Instagram, no plan. Just a pitch, a ball, and the desire to meet people.
That night, after the game, they went for ceviche together. And that's when it happened — what happens when you bring together people from different cultures who genuinely want to connect: they became real friends.
From 8 to 50
Over the next few weeks, everyone brought someone. A friend from the coworking space, a classmate from university, a neighbor who was also a foreigner. No advertising, no marketing. Just word of mouth.
Within 3 weeks, there were 50 people in the WhatsApp group. Football went from once to twice a week. Someone suggested going to a bar on Friday. Someone else proposed a language exchange. Things started happening on their own.
From 50 to 300
What made LIC grow wasn't a marketing strategy. It was consistency. Football was ALWAYS Tuesday and Thursday. Social events were ALWAYS on weekends. If you arrived in Lima any week of the year, there was something to go to.
That consistency built trust. People didn't come "to an event." They came to see their friends. And that's a different thing entirely.
Key milestones:
- Month 1: 50 members, football twice a week
- Month 3: 100 members, first organized night out, first group trip to Ica
- Month 6: 200 members, 20+ countries represented, volunteer team formed
- Year 1: 300+ members, trips to Cajamarca, Cusco, Ayacucho. Football, parties, culture, networking. Something every week.
Why it worked
There are thousands of "communities" in the world. Most of them are dead WhatsApp groups. LIC worked for three reasons:
1. Real, recurring activity: Not one event per month. Something every week, no exceptions. 2. Mix of locals and internationals: It's not a foreigner bubble. Peruvians are a core part of it. 3. Genuine tone: Not corporate, not forced. It's people who want to meet people. That simple.
What's next
LIC is in the process of becoming a registered NGO. Why? Because what started as a football game has the potential to change how Lima welcomes people from abroad.
We're building partnerships with universities, coworking spaces, and embassies. We're building a volunteer team that runs everything. And we're documenting every step so this can be replicated.
If you're reading this and you're not part of it yet: just show up. The next football game is this week.