Argentina’s president, Javier Milei, will not attend the FIFA World Cup final against Spain despite being invited to join the US president. Donald Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino in New Jersey. Instead, Milei says he will remain at the president’s residence in Buenos Aires, believing that following his match-day actions will give Argentina the best chance of retaining the World Cup.The Argentine captain revealed on Thursday that superstitions – known locally as cábalas – were the reason behind his decision to miss football’s biggest game. Argentina have won all seven World Cup games they have seen at home in the tournament, and Milei is not willing to risk breaking the streak.“No,” Milei said when asked by Buenos Aires radio station El Observador if he would go to New Jersey one last time.“I will continue to watch all the games from Olivos,” he said, referring to the presidential palace.The decision means Milei will miss the chance to watch the final alongside Trump, one of his closest allies in the world, and Infantino, who is expected to attend the post-match showdown.
The lucky jacket is a football tradition
Milei also spoke about a tradition that has been part of Argentina’s unbeaten run.“Because it’s cold and I don’t turn on the heat, I wear a jacket from the oil company. On the day of the Switzerland match, I was very hot. I took it off, and they scored a goal against us. I put it back on and I didn’t take it off,” he said.The president’s actions reflect the culture of football in Argentina, where the cábalas have a sacred place at major tournaments.Many fans refuse to wash their jerseys throughout the World Cup if the team continues to win. Some insist on watching every match from the same seat or with a group of friends. Some fans also believe that they should stay where Argentina scored earlier, while others avoid changing the way the game is played.An international video during the World Cup showed a group of supporters reading verses from the Bible when Argentina started to score against Egypt. After the victory, he repeated the ritual before all subsequent games. Some fans use cool sculptures or posters with the names of their opponents in the belief that this will bring bad luck to the rival teams.
Faith of the former President
Milei’s election also follows a rare tradition among Argentine presidents.The belief dates back to the 1990 World Cup, when then-president Carlos Menem visited Argentina’s team just before they defeated Cameroon. Menem was later called “dead” – a jinx – and since then, Argentina’s leaders have avoided attending important World Cup matches involving the national team.For many Argentines, these beliefs have become part of football’s mythology, and Milei seems determined not to be the leader who breaks them.
Trump is expected to attend for the final time
While Milei is staying at home, the White House confirmed that Trump will attend Sunday’s finals at New York-New Jersey Stadium.White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the US president is looking forward to the game, saying the tournament is “the best-watched, best-attended and most successful World Cup in American history.”Trump is also expected to attend a FIFA banquet at Trump Tower before the final. Infantino has confirmed that the US president is expected to join him in presenting the World Cup trophy to the winning captain, continuing the tradition followed by the heads of state who hosted the finals.The 2022 show in Qatar was attended by Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani along with Infantino as Lionel Messi lifted the World Cup, with Russian President Vladimir Putin joining the FIFA executive during France’s 2018 victory.However, this time, the Argentine president will be watching from afar, wrapped in the same lucky jacket, hoping that keeping faith with the cábalas is enough to help the defenders lift the World Cup again.
