The Ftblito Story

Peter Erdahl’s journey from the pitch and back again

By Where Is Football

May 27^th, 2025

There’s a kind of football storytelling that doesn’t just follow the game—it follows the people.

That’s what Peter Erdahl has built with Ftblito.

A former player with a sharp eye and a global outlook, Peter has worked at one of football’s most influential brands—Nike—and now finds himself documenting the soul of the sport across Latin America. His work through Ftblito feels intimate and wide-reaching all at once, chronicling the ways fútbol is lived, loved, and passed down through generations.

We caught up with Peter to talk about his evolution—from boots to camera, from global brand to grassroots field—and how Ftblito has become a love letter to the cultures that make football more than just a game.

You’ve had a rich career that includes time at Nike, and now with Ftblito you’re documenting football at a grassroots level. How has your relationship with the game evolved from player to brand professional to visual storyteller?

As a former player and now visual storyteller, I’ve always been fascinated by fútbol. As a player I had the opportunity to play across multiple countries including Ecuador, Chile and Argentina, experiencing the cultural and societal importance of fútbol firsthand. Being from Perú I knew the importance of what fútbol meant, but it was eye-opening to see the slight variations across the countries I lived in and played in that made each relationship between fútbol and the country feel unique and special. It’s those minute differences that I began to document, focusing less on what was happening on the field of play, and turning my camera towards the fans - the soul of fútbol throughout Latin America.

That was over 10 years ago, and since then I’ve continued to do my best to focus on the parts of fútbol throughout the Americas that are less seen.

Where did the idea for Ftblito come from? What was the spark?

Media coverage of football has become more and more euro-centric. While this is understandable given the vast amount of revenue generated by the biggest leagues in Europe, it is also disappointing.

With such a large focus on Europe, other unique and thriving footballing cultures around the globe tend to be ignored.

My mission is to showcase these less-documented football cultures and celebrate them as they are. We want to shine a light on the unique and at times paradoxical world of football throughout North, Central and South America and also highlight stories outside of the mainstream football narrative.

Did you grow up with Latin American fútbol, or did it become part of your life later on?

Being from a fútbol crazed country the sport was an ever-present part in my life. I grew up a supporter of Alianza Lima and La Seleccion Peruana - which over the years have given me moments of immense joy, but also moments of immense suffering as well.

As I grew older and began to study the sport as a cultural and societal phenomenon and through immersing myself in fútbol cultures around the Americas, I learned to appreciate all shades of beautiful game.

What’s your approach when you enter a new footballing community? Do you document first—or connect first?

The first thing I do when entering a new footballing community is play. I find that jumping on to the pitch and playing alongside those you are documenting allows a certain bond to form. When people see you share the same passion as they do for playing or watching fútbol, it breaks down barriers and helps establish commonalities. Also, if you know how to really play, that’s also a bonus…

How do you navigate the line between storytelling and respect—especially when working in vulnerable or underrepresented communities?

It varies. Contingent on the situation, I may take multiple precautions in order to protect individuals or groups. Additionally, I always send the subject a pre-read of the content in order for them to edit / sign-off the material that will be produced and broadcast. Ultimately the story is theirs and I see my photos and writing as simply amplifying their message or story to a fútbol loving audience.

What tools or rituals do you bring with you when you’re capturing stories on the road?

I always dress in black and wear comfortable shoes. When I document fútbol I walk. A lot. With fans. Around the stadium perimeter. Down alleyways. Through bars. The more you walk and explore the more you see so I try to ensure I cover as much ground as possible while out on a shoot. Also - in some more sketchy scenarios - I have to run.

What’s one fútbol moment or person you’ve documented that you still think about often?

During covid I was invited to play with a group of migrant workers that had constructed a pitch in the middle of a field of blueberries. Every Sunday evening for about a year I would drive out to the countryside and play, document and watch as friends and family of the workers gathered around to drink beers, eat asado and play fútbol matches against the rival workers around the area.

Unfortunately the field is no more, but I find myself thinking back to those moments in time quite often.

What do you think the world misunderstands—or overlooks—about Latin American football culture?

I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s misunderstood - but I do feel a sense that fans that reside outside of the Americas don’t place as much intrinsic value on fútbol from the region. Don’t get me wrong, I love watching Barcelona play Real Madrid as much as the next person, but I also don’t want us to forget the fact that there’s a whole world of amazing fútbol culture that exists outside of Europe and the US.

What role do you think grassroots fútbol plays in preserving identity, especially in rapidly changing regions?

I see it more as an evolution. You could argue that grassroots fútbol acts as a means of preservation of culture and tradition - an oral history shared through songs and chants, or visually through street art depicting local heroes, iconic goals, or football symbolism.

In my opinion, however, grassroots fútbol is less about preservation and more about evolution. Your family, your neighborhood or region in which you grow up defines your experience with the beautiful game. You learn the customs, rituals and play styles from previous generations and as you grow older, you make them your own. You add it, which intrinsically not only preserves it, but pushes and evolves the identity into a new space. Then, at the right time, it is your turn to teach the next generation.

Ftblito is both personal and communal. Where do you want to take it next—creatively or geographically?

My dream would be to roadtrip for the next 5 years from the top of Alaska to the southern most tip of Chile and speak to / document the football cultures that exist along the way. NYTs or the Athletic, if you’re listening… let’s chat.

From a more attainable aspect I am focusing on compiling my work into themes and I hope to do a gallery show sometime within the next year.

Why do you think it’s important to tell these stories now?

I don’t want these stories to be forgotten. In an era where fútbol culture is threatened by money grabs and clubs as wealthy as sovereign states, I want to ensure that the stories of those who truly love the game continue to be told. Fan culture around the Americas is what makes fútbol truly special and as long as it continues to exist, I will continue to document it.