BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — President Javier Millay of Argentina He said he would not attend the meeting on Thursday. world cup finals Due to superstition, he chose to watch Sunday’s match between Spain and Argentina at home instead. He had watched the defending champions’ last seven games in the tournament, all wins, from home.
trying to help his country’s beloved soccer team Millais, who won his second consecutive title, added that he would 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 Americaespecially in Argentina, where so-called “kabbalah”, or ritual beliefs and customs, carry unusual weight, reflecting the enthusiasm with which many here watch the national team.
When asked Thursday if he would be traveling to New Jersey to watch Sunday’s game with him, his close ally with US President Donald Trump FIFA President Gianni InfantinoAs most expected, Millay answered, “No way.”
“I will continue to watch all Olivos matches,” he told local radio station El Observador in Buenos Aires, referring to the presidential palace.
The journalist asked if he was staying at home for superstitious reasons. Millay answered, “Yes,” and explained another custom. “It’s cold and I don’t have any heating, so I wear an oil company branded jacket. On the day of the game in Switzerland, it was really hot. I took it off and they scored a goal against us. I put it on again and never took it off again.”
Like Millay, most Argentines have a Kabbalah that requires them to follow exactly the same routine if their team is winning. Some refuse to wash their jerseys during the World Cup and wear the same clothes throughout the game. Some people watch each game in the same place, while others, like the person who happened to be in the bathroom when Argentina scored, aren’t allowed to watch at all.
Even the smallest actions mean a lot. In a widely shared video from this World Cup, a group of fans began reading the Bible, just like in Argentina. Started scoring against EgyptSince then, it has been mandatory to repeat this ritual at every match. One common ritual to influence rival teams is to freeze player figures or pieces of paper with opponents’ names written on them.
Argentina’s presidents have long been wary of attending World Cup matches to avoid bringing bad luck to their team. This superstition dates back to the 1990 tournament. then president Carlos Menem He visited the Argentina national team just before they suffered a crushing defeat to Cameroon in their first match.
Menem was jinxed with the “muffa” brand. Since then, it is known that no sitting president of Argentina has attended a national team match.
___
Associated Press writer Deborah Ray contributed to this report.
___
See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here
