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BEHIND THE STRIPES

Barzi Rangel Rascon

By Atlanta United FC

July 24^th, 2025

Saturday will be a momentous occasion for Barzilai “Barzi” Rangel Rascon. He will make his way up the steps to hammer the Golden Spike home to the cheers of the 17s ahead of Atlanta United’s match against Seattle Sounders July 26. The journey up the capo stage may be tough for an amputee, but that’ll make it all the more powerful — a kid who conquered cancer twice climbing the big stage.

You can find Barzi's scarf at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium Team Store. Click the link below to see the locations:

It’s telling that one of Barzi’s first thoughts was getting to see his classmates again — he gets along well with everyone he meets. Throughout the treatment process, rounds of chemotherapy and eventually an amputation, he leaned on his family and nurses at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta for support.

“My mom, she was always there for me, and the rest of my family were there for me,” he said.

Barzi’s uncle shaved his head to show support when he lost his hair due to his chemotherapy. His younger brother, Hiram, joked that he wanted to do the same, but their mom said no.

Esther is proud of how active her son is to this day despite being an amputee. She said Barzi’s desire to get out on the pitch and play soccer is inspiring.

“I think he’s stronger than me,” she said.

Barzi built up a reputation of being one of the nicest people in the building at Children’s. The day he rang the bell to celebrate being cancer-free in early 2024 was full of emotion from all over the place.

“It was early in the morning. I woke up, and it was the last chemo,” he said. “… Once I rung the bell, I was glad that it was finally over. I was kind of sad at the same time because I wouldn’t see the nurses anymore.”

The staff at Children’s got plenty of Barzi time, and he thinks back fondly on the people more than anything. He said the nurses there pushed him and played a huge role in his recovery.

They got up to some fun activities along with the work of rehab. Barzi remembers prank baking: making cookies that looked normal but secretly had garlic power inside the dough. They surprised the front desk workers with the “treats” and had a good laugh about it.

Barzi loves soccer and swimming, two sporting endeavors he has pursued before and after his amputation. He plays defender or goalkeeper out on the pitch, though his favorite player is an attacker in Cristiano Ronaldo.

“When I was a little kid, he always wanted to play soccer with me,” Hiram said. “Every time when I’d play soccer, I’d lose, but I still didn’t give up. He taught me the ways of it. He’s always the same as he used to be.”

He’s headed to ninth grade now, and he’s settling into the swing of his new normal. His favorite subjects in school include science and math, and he said he wants to be a surgeon when he grows up, perhaps as a gesture to repay the surgeons that helped saved his life.

Through Atlanta United and inspired by his Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta journey, Barzi’s unique outlook on the world around him is now manifested in a scarf. He got the chance to design it with Atlanta United midfielder Tristan Muyumba back in March.

On one side of the scarf is Atlanta’s skyline, each building decorated in themes of Barzi’s life backed by a vibrant blue sky. One tower is all black with Batman ears and white eyes. Some have silly faces. Some reflect the colors of Atlanta United’s Connector and Resurgens kits. One is Christmas themed, Barzi’s favorite holiday.

A pink building prominently features his dog, Princess, a gift from Make-A-Wish Foundation.

“I love her with all my heart. She’s a golden doodle. [I chose the name] because I wanted to treat her like a princess.”

On the left of the line of skyscrapers sits Mercedes-Benz Stadium, adorned in a gold color and neighbored by the SkyView Atlanta Ferris Wheel.

Flip the scarf over, and items float around a gold backdrop: soccer balls, trumpets, burgers, video game controllers, a tiger. They all surround one central phrase.

“The middle says, ‘Nobody is Perfect in this World,’” Barzi said. “To be perfect, you’d basically have to be a robot. We’re all humans. We all make mistakes, so I put that phrase.”

Barzi has a remarkably mature, calm demeanor for his age, although his face does light up in childlike excitement at the sound of good news. Atlanta United’s Community Impact team surprised him with the news that he’s going to be the Spike Hitter for the 5-Stripes’ game against Seattle Sounders July 26.

The match will be a night for Atlanta United and everyone in attendance to honor pediatric illness patients. Barzi’s scarf will be released to the public for sale in the Team Store. The 5-Stripes will wear numbers created by another patient, Jhesua, who will be the match’s Honorary Captain.

Barzi’s faith played a large part in overcoming the obstacles that he has encountered. Now, he’s on the other side of it, and nights like Saturday are a chance to celebrate that.