Instead of flying to the New Jersey stadium for the FIFA World Cup 2026 final, Argentina's President will be watching the match on TV from his official residence, Olivos. He believes it's a lucky charm for the team.
As Argentina gets ready to face Spain in the FIFA World Cup final, President Javier Milei won't be in the stands. He has turned down a VIP invitation to watch the match with US President Donald Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino. The reason? A good old superstition. Instead of flying to the stadium in New Jersey, USA, Milei will watch the game on TV from his official residence, Olivos.
He has watched Argentina's last seven matches from this very spot, and the team won every single one. The President says he doesn't want to break this winning streak. But it's not just about the location. Milei has a strict dress code for match days. Speaking to a local radio station, 'El Observatorio', he revealed his special ritual. "Even though it's cold, I don't turn on the heater in my residence. Instead, I wear a big, thick jacket with an oil company's logo," he said.
"During the match against Switzerland, I felt hot and took the jacket off. Right after that, Argentina conceded a goal. I immediately put the jacket back on, and since then, I haven't taken it off until the match is over." So, his plan is to sit at home, wearing that same jacket, hoping to see Argentina lift the World Cup for the second time in a row. In Latin America, especially in Argentina, such beliefs are called 'cabalas'.
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For Argentinians, who are crazy about football, these are not just superstitions but serious rituals for the team's success. It's common for fans to wear the same unwashed jersey or sit in the exact same spot for every game as long as the team is winning. It's a bit like the 'totkas' some Indian cricket fans follow for Team India's victory.
An Old 'Curse' That Haunts Argentinian Presidents
There's also a decades-old story behind why Argentinian presidents avoid football stadiums. Back in 1990, at the World Cup opening match between Argentina and Cameroon, then-President Carlos Menem visited the players in the stadium. Argentina ended up losing that match unexpectedly.
After that loss, Menem was branded a 'mufa', which means a jinx or a bringer of bad luck. Since then, no Argentinian president has dared to attend a national team final in person. President Milei is just trying to make sure history doesn't repeat itself with his lucky jacket experiment.
