ORLANDO, Fla. — A special ceremony welcoming 20 new American citizens into the country took place during the halftime of the Orlando City soccer game on Saturday.

For those honored, this proud moment is something they’ve been waiting to accomplish for years.

Livan Corrales moved to the United States when he was just 25 years old.

“I never expected a big ceremony like this one,” Corrales said. 

Leaving his home country of Cuba was his way of reaching for opportunities he didn’t have back where he grew up.

Becoming a U.S. citizen is something he’s dreamed of for a while now.

“Florida is similar to Cuba. Same weather, hurricane season, it’s hot, and you’ve got the beach,” he said.

Corrales submitted his papers for citizenship before the pandemic hit a few years back.

The process was delayed several times, but he says the wait was worth it, especially since he’s a big soccer fan and got the chance to be honored during the Orlando City game.

“Now I can vote, now I can be counted,” he said.

After two decades of calling this country his home, he’s proud of the positive example he has set for his family.

The United States is the country he learned to speak English in. It’s where he’s worked hard to achieve his goals.

Those who became U.S. citizens represented fourteen different countries, and Corrales was one of the new Americans showcasing the power of persistence.

“A lot of people don’t realize when we come into this country, we are looking for a future. We are looking for the thing we can’t get in the country we came from,” he said.