BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Cervantes and Borges. tortilla and asado. flamenco and tango.
Argentines and Spaniards have long been linked by blood ties and mutual admiration. world cup Many countries are at a crossroads in the final between two Spanish-speaking countries. Which team should I root for, La Furia or La Albiceleste, on Sunday?
“I feel like I’m caught between a rock and a hard place,” admitted Juan Manuel Posada, a 75-year-old Spaniard from Asturias who settled here. buenos aires In 1968.
collision at new jersey It will be the first all-Spanish-speaking World Cup final since the inaugural tournament in 1930, when hosts Uruguay defeated Argentina 4-2 in Montevideo.
Buenos Aires was founded by the Spaniards
The Spaniard Pedro de Mendoza founded Buenos Aires in the mid-16th century. The fight for independence did not change the strong cultural influence of the Iberian Peninsula on the young nation. Its influence deepened with waves of Spanish immigration in the first half of the 20th century.
“It’s as if I arrived yesterday. My heart is with Asturias, Spain and the Spanish national team. Without a doubt,” said Posada, a fan of Spanish club Sporting de Gijón who became a supporter of Independiente de Avellaneda in his adopted country. “It would be great if Spain won, but I wouldn’t be upset at all if Argentina won,” he added in his still-preserved Asturian accent.
Manuel Fernández Acevedo is 81 years old. He left Baiona, Vigo with his family at an early age and settled in Argentina, where his daughter and granddaughter were born. “I hope the best team wins. If Spain wins, that’s great, and if it’s Argentina’s turn, so be it,” said the man, who is torn between the two countries.
deep relationship
Just as literature, gastronomy and music have been enriched by the bonds of brotherhood, so too has soccer felt its influence, with Argentina’s Alfredo Di Stefano and Lionel Messi standing out as the biggest icons of Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively.
Surprisingly, there is no classic soccer rivalry between the two countries. One reason for this is that in almost a century of World Cup history, Spain and Argentina have only played each other once. The encounter took place in the group stage of the 1966 World Cup, resulting in a victory for La Albiceleste.
Of course, it’s a different story when it comes to the finals.
Return to the pousada. “The other day, my Argentinian grandson said to me, “Grandpa, if Spain wins, I’ll wear my Spanish shirt and celebrate with my flag. But if Argentina wins, I’ll have to wear my country’s shirt and bring my flag.” I told him. , I said that’s fine, but I don’t think I can go to the obelisk to celebrate wearing the Spanish uniform,” Posada said with a laugh, referring to the monument in Buenos Aires that is the center of La Albiceleste’s victory celebrations.
on the other side of the Atlantic
First, the military dictatorship from 1976 to 1983, and then the successive economic crises that began in the 2000s, led thousands of Argentines to settle in Spain in search of a better quality of life. According to the latest Spanish census figures (as of January 2025), 450,883 people born in Argentina reside in Spain.
Sunday’s final will be a special day for them as well.
Nahuel Valletta, 19, who has lived in Malaga for a year, said: “I consider them just rivals, but I look at them with respect. I know that we are in their country and that in the end we are all brothers.” “This feels like home. We watch the game with friends at a bar downtown. That’s our usual ritual. We’ve never experienced a World Cup like this before.”
In recent days, posts have been circulating on social media about the Argentine and Spanish couple temporarily breaking up until after Sunday’s match, and the funny tactics they use to persuade their children to support one of the finalists.
It really feels like a family affair.
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AP correspondent Suman Naishadam in Madrid contributed to this report.
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See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here
