‘Argentina endures’: In Buenos Aires, emotional celebrations of a World Cup victory
BUENOS AIRES — There were going to be tears either way.
But on Sunday afternoon, after a three-hour roller coaster of a World Cup final, one that saw Argentina scrape by a win on penalty kicks, they were tears of joy.
Thousands, if not millions, streamed into the streets of this capital city as soon as La Albiceleste, Argentina’s national soccer team, beat France. It was an emotional start to a boisterous early-summer celebration — horns honking, strangers hugging, and yes, crying.
In the Colegiales neighborhood, speech therapist Angeles Usovich erupted into tears after the final penalty kick, falling to her knees on the pavement as she called her father to celebrate.
Indeed, many in this soccer-obsessed South American nation have said they badly needed something to celebrate. Soaring inflation has meant hard economic times for its 47 million residents, many of whom have had to forgo vacations or skip buying beef for their famed asados, or barbecues. The recent conviction and sentencing of Vice President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner on corruption charges has also further polarized an already divided political landscape.
On the sprawling Avenida 9 de Julio in downtown Buenos Aires, though, none of that seemed to matter: La Albiceleste had taken home its third World Cup — a crowning berth for Lionel Messi, the 35-year-old forward and team captain.
“We did it,” shouted 9-year-old Juan Cruz, wearing Messi’s last name on a sky blue and white jersey and carrying a bearded Messi mask. “He’s the greatest in the world.”
Widely considered one of the best to ever play the game, Messi had long been missing the biggest title in international soccer. That absence on his résumé had strained an already complicated relationship between Messi and his home country, which he left for Spain at the age of 13.
Some Argentines had criticized him for failing to bring them back a World Cup trophy since his 2006 debut, saying he was more European than Argentinean. They often placed him second to Diego Maradona, the brash soccer legend who led the selección, another name for the national team, to its most recent World Cup victory — in 1986, just before Messi was born.
No more. After Messi opened up the scoring in the first half with a soaring penalty kick over French goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, several thousand people watching on giant screens in Buenos Aires’s Plaza Intendente Seeber could not stop cheering.
“Leo,” one person from the crowd shouted, “we love you!”
That penalty kick was far from enough to secure an easy win. France equalized the score with two quick-succession goals late in the second half, pushing the game to extra time. And after Messi scored another stunner in the 108th minute, Kylian Mbappé again tied the game and forced a penalty shootout.
Lola Del Valle, a 22-year-old college student, said Argentines would have celebrated Messi no matter the outcome of Sunda
BUENOS AIRES — There were going to be tears either way.
But on Sunday afternoon, after a three-hour roller coaster of a World Cup final, one that saw Argentina scrape by a win on penalty kicks, they were tears of joy.
Thousands, if not millions, streamed into the streets of this capital city as soon as La Albiceleste, Argentina’s national soccer team, beat France. It was an emotional start to a boisterous early-summer celebration — horns honking, strangers hugging, and yes, crying.
In the Colegiales neighborhood, speech therapist Angeles Usovich erupted into tears after the final penalty kick, falling to her knees on the pavement as she called her father to celebrate.
Indeed, many in this soccer-obsessed South American nation have said they badly needed something to celebrate. Soaring inflation has meant hard economic times for its 47 million residents, many of whom have had to forgo vacations or skip buying beef for their famed asados, or barbecues. The recent conviction and sentencing of Vice President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner on corruption charges has also further polarized an already divided political landscape.
On the sprawling Avenida 9 de Julio in downtown Buenos Aires, though, none of that seemed to matter: La Albiceleste had taken home its third World Cup — a crowning berth for Lionel Messi, the 35-year-old forward and team captain.
“We did it,” shouted 9-year-old Juan Cruz, wearing Messi’s last name on a sky blue and white jersey and carrying a bearded Messi mask. “He’s the greatest in the world.”
Widely considered one of the best to ever play the game, Messi had long been missing the biggest title in international soccer. That absence on his résumé had strained an already complicated relationship between Messi and his home country, which he left for Spain at the age of 13.
Some Argentines had criticized him for failing to bring them back a World Cup trophy since his 2006 debut, saying he was more European than Argentinean. They often placed him second to Diego Maradona, the brash soccer legend who led the selección, another name for the national team, to its most recent World Cup victory — in 1986, just before Messi was born.
No more. After Messi opened up the scoring in the first half with a soaring penalty kick over French goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, several thousand people watching on giant screens in Buenos Aires’s Plaza Intendente Seeber could not stop cheering.
“Leo,” one person from the crowd shouted, “we love you!”
That penalty kick was far from enough to secure an easy win. France equalized the score with two quick-succession goals late in the second half, pushing the game to extra time. And after Messi scored another stunner in the 108th minute, Kylian Mbappé again tied the game and forced a penalty shootout.
Lola Del Valle, a 22-year-old college student, said Argentines would have celebrated Messi no matter the outcome of Sunda
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