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Argentine President to Watch World Cup Final From Home Over Superstition
President Javier Milei said Thursday he will view Sunday’s final between Spain and Argentina from his residence rather than travel to New Jersey. He cited a series of rituals he believes have contributed to the team’s seven straight tournament wins.
Jul 17, 3:41 AM·1m read4 sources
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Argentine President Javier Milei said Thursday he will not attend Sunday’s World Cup final in New Jersey and will instead watch the match between Spain and Argentina from his presidential residence in Olivos. Milei told local radio station El Observador that he has viewed all seven of Argentina’s tournament victories from the same location while wearing the same heavy oil-company jacket.
He described one instance during the Switzerland match when removing the jacket coincided with Argentina conceding a goal.
Milei’s decision aligns with long-standing Argentine practices known as “cábalas,” ritual behaviors believed to influence match outcomes. Supporters commonly repeat the same seating arrangement, clothing, or viewing habits throughout the tournament.
Some fans freeze figurines of opposing players or repeat religious readings at the exact moment Argentina scores. A widely circulated video showed supporters beginning a Bible reading during a goal against Egypt, prompting them to repeat the act in subsequent matches.
No sitting Argentine president has attended a national-team match since 1990, when then-President Carlos Menem visited the squad before an opening loss to Cameroon and was labeled a “mufa,” or jinx. Milei’s choice continues that pattern, reflecting the weight placed on superstition around the national team in Argentina and parts of Latin America.
