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Argentine President Javier Milei said Thursday he would not attend the World Cup final due to superstition, preferring to watch Sunday’s match between Spain and Argentina from home – where he has watched the defending champion’s previous seven matches, all victories, in the tournament.
In a bid to help his country’s beloved soccer team win its second consecutive title, Milei added, he will also wear the same heavy jacket.
Fans and players around the world cling to superstitions that they believe can bring good luck to their team – or bad luck to their opponents. But in Latin America, and particularly in Argentina, so-called “cabalas,” or ritual beliefs and habits, carry unusual weight, reflecting the intensity with which many here watch their national team.
Asked on Thursday whether he would travel to New Jersey to watch Sunday’s match alongside his close ally, US President Donald Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino, as was widely expected, Milei replied: “No way.”
“I will continue to watch all the matches from Olivos,” he told local Buenos Aires radio station El Observador, referring to his presidential residence.
The journalist asked him if he was staying at home for superstitious reasons. Milei said yes and explained another of her rituals: “Since it’s cold and I don’t turn on the heating, I wear a jacket with the brand of the oil company. On the day of the match against Switzerland, I was very hot. I took it off and they scored a goal against us. I put it back on and never took it off again.”
Like Milei, most Argentines have cábalas that demand they stick to the exact same routine if the team wins. Some wear the same clothes every match, refusing to wash their jerseys for the duration of the World Cup. Some watch every game in the same place – or are not allowed to watch at all, as may be the case with those who are in the toilets when Argentina scores.
Stories related to Argentina
The smallest acts take on extraordinary meaning. In a widely shared video from that World Cup, a group of fans began reading the Bible just as Argentina began scoring against Egypt, forcing them to repeat the ritual in every match since. A common ritual to make an impact on the rival team is to freeze player figurines or pieces of paper with the opponents’ names on them.
Argentina’s presidents have long been reluctant to attend high-stakes World Cup matches to avoid bringing bad luck to their teams. The superstition dates back to the 1990 tournament, when then-president Carlos Menem visited the Argentine team just before they suffered a stunning defeat to Cameroon.
Menem was described as “mufa”, a lucky charm. Since then, no sitting Argentine president has attended a national team match. There is no superstition on the Spanish side, however: Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez plans to attend Sunday’s World Cup final against Argentina, his office said Friday, and Spain’s King Felipe VI is also expected to attend the match in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
