As a young girl, Aldeni would cheer on Cristiano Ronaldo and other Manchester United heroes from her living room in Mexico City. Today, her passion for Man Utd and the beautiful game burns as bright as ever.
Now 31, Aldeni takes just as much pleasure watching Ruben Amorim's Red Devils alongside other members of a Man Utd fan club that she’s been with right from the start.
Aldeni was introduced to the beautiful game as a child by her father, who played in local leagues.
She was fascinated by football, and quickly immersed herself in its culture, visiting stadiums, participating in street festivals and seeing elaborate murals on Mexican buildings and homes alike.
But it was when Aldeni's cousin introduced her to Man Utd in 2008 that her fascination developed into full-on passion, and her weekends soon became shaped around Premier League matches, especially when her beloved Man Utd were playing.
Football is for women and girls too
And Aldeni, who lives in Iztapalapa, an eastern zone in Mexico City’s valley, believes that the community she has forged around the game has both enriched her life and strengthened her belief that football really is a game for all, especially women and girls.
"I think it’s important to keep following your passions and what you like without giving importance to what people say," says Aldeni.
"Football is more than just a game. I think it’s a way to meet many people, to share culture and languages and many things besides just being a fan."
Aldeni's philosophy is to give time to the important things in her life. Family, a foundational pillar of her Mexican culture, clearly rank high on that list, as does her passion for football and horse riding.
"I think what I like most is that we literally celebrate everything," she adds. "We have parties for absolutely everything … For everything we have Mariachi, get togethers - everything is festive. I think it’s beautiful.
"It’s the same for football, because we do everything with such passion, of course it’s the same for football. Here in Mexico it’s common to find murals dedicated to football clubs."
For Aldeni, sport mixed with socialising is second nature. After joining a Man Utd fan club, she began exchanging footballs shirts with loved ones, while making new bonds with a growing new community.
Whether it is her family at home, or her extended football family, Aldeni is sure of one thing, that "football is literally a motivation and reason for bringing Latin American families together.
"Football wouldn’t be as popular, as loved all over the world if it wasn’t for this passion, and that’s what unites us all."
*Article produced in collaboration with football case study.