Why Argentine President Javier Milei skipped the World Cup final despite the presence of Donald Trump | Football News
Argentina President Javier Milei will not be in the stands for Sunday’s FIFA World Cup final against Spain despite invitations to join the US President Donald Trump and FIFA president Gianni Infantino of New Jersey. However, Milei says he will stay at the president’s residence in Buenos Aires, convinced that sticking to his match-day routine gives Argentina the best chance of keeping the World Cup.Argentina’s leader revealed on Thursday that superstition – known locally as cábalas – was the sole reason behind his decision to miss football’s biggest game. Argentina won all seven World Cup games he watched from home during the tournament, and Milei didn’t want to risk snapping the streak.“Not possible,” Milei said when asked by Buenos Aires radio station El Observador if he would travel to New Jersey for the final.“I’m going to keep watching all the games from Olivos,” he added, referring to the president’s residence.The decision means Milei will miss the chance to watch the final with Trump, one of her closest international allies, and Infantino, both of whom are expected to be present for the trophy presentation after the match.
Lucky jacket and football rituals
Milei also revealed another ritual that has been part of Argentina’s unbeaten run.“Because it was cold and I couldn’t turn off the heat, I wore a jacket branded by the oil company. The day of the game in Switzerland, it really warmed me up. I took it off, and they scored a goal against us. I put it on and never took it off again,” he explained.The president’s routine reflects a wider football culture in Argentina, where cábalas occupy an almost sacred place during major tournaments.Many supporters refuse to wash their jerseys throughout the World Cup if the team continues to win. Some insist on watching every game from the same seat or with the same group of friends. Some fans believe they should stick to the exact location where Argentina scored in the past, while others avoid changing any of the pre-match routines.A viral video during this World Cup showed a group of supporters reading passages from the Bible when Argentina started scoring against Egypt. After the victory, they repeat the ritual before each subsequent game. Some fans resort to freezing figurines or pieces of paper with opponents’ names in the belief that it will bring bad luck to the opposing teams.
A long-standing superstition of the president
Milei’s decision also follows an unusual tradition among Argentine presidents.The belief dates back to the 1990 World Cup, when former president Carlos Menem visited the Argentina squad before their shock opening defeat to Cameroon. Menem was later branded a “mufa” – a jinx – and since then, sitting Argentine presidents have generally avoided attending important World Cup games involving the national team.For many Argentines, the superstition has become part of football lore, and Milei appears determined not to be the leader who breaks it.
Trump is scheduled to attend the final
While Milei stayed at home, the White House confirmed that Trump will attend Sunday’s final at New York-New Jersey Stadium.White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the US president was looking forward to the match, describing the tournament as “the most watched, safest, and most successful World Cup in American history.”Trump is also expected to attend a FIFA reception at Trump Tower before the final. Infantino 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 host nation’s leaders in previous finals.The 2022 trophy presentation in Qatar featured Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani with Infantino as Lionel Messi lifted the World Cup, while Russian President Vladimir Putin joined the FIFA chief during France’s victory in 2018.This time, however, Argentina’s president will be watching from hundreds of miles away, wrapped in the same lucky jacket, hoping that keeping faith in his cábalas will be enough to help the defending champions lift the World Cup once more.
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