Arabic version: المشجعون الأرجنتينيون يلجؤون إلى الطقوس قبل نهائي كأس العالم
Argentina are one win from retaining the World Cup title and supporters across the country are turning to superstitions to cope with pressure as the national team prepares to face Spain.
According to SBS News, fans in Buenos Aires neighbourhoods and homes are following a range of “cabala” — rituals believed to bring good luck. In the working-class Liniers district, Andres Gonzalez told AFP that “no one moves from the spot they occupied the last time” and that if someone goes to the bathroom during a match, “we lock you in. You stay there until the match is over.” The report also notes Argentina’s president, Javier Milei, saying “Under no circumstances” would he break his custom of watching World Cup matches from the presidential residence.
Sociologist Diego Murzi told AFP that rituals let Argentines feel like protagonists rather than spectators, helping fans feel involved and ward off bad luck. “Rituals are part of that — feeling involved by bringing good luck and warding off bad luck,” Murzi said, and he pointed to former coach Carlos Bilardo as an example of football superstition influencing team routines.
The SBS piece describes a range of household practices. Saleswoman Estela Vargas said everyone in her house wears the same clothes and sits in the same chair while the dog must stay outside for the Spain match; in the match against England they dressed an English bulldog in an Argentina jersey. Retiree Lidia Otero outlined specific gestures and chants she performs in front of the television and recounted turning her dog around at half-time before Argentina scored. Eleven-year-old Rodrigo Serna said, “I grab the player’s sticker and put it in the freezer. My grandpa taught me that.” The story also recalls how Bilardo, after a phone rang in the locker room during Argentina’s first match decades ago, instituted a pre-match ritual of arranging a similar unanswered call to the dressing room.
What happens next: Argentina will meet Spain in the World Cup final on Monday, and supporters are maintaining their established rituals as the match approaches.
Related sections: General | Social/إجتماعية | World/العالم
