Argentine superstition ramps up ahead of World Cup final

Emotions run high in Argentina as a second consecutive World Cup win is in sight (ROBERTO SCHMIDT)Angst-ridden Argentine football fans are putting their faith in good luck rituals ahead of Sunday's World Cup final against Spain.

>Lionel Messi's men are just one game away from retaining their title after beating old foes England 2-1 in Wednesday's semi-final in Atlanta.

>But as adrenaline levels soar, supporters need something to calm the nerves.

>Good luck rituals are common across the South American nation and a healthy dose of superstition is helping fans cope with the pressure.

>During the match, "no one moves from the spot they occupied the last time," Andres Gonzalez told AFP in the working-class Liniers neighborhood of Buenos Aires.

>The self-declared "football addict" believes it is essential for everybody to follow the rules.

>"If you went to the bathroom and there's a goal, we lock you in. You stay there until the match is over," the 48-year-old accountant explained with conviction.

>- 'Cabala' -

>Gonzalez is referring to a "cabala" --  a ritual believed to bring good luck.

>Such practices take place throughout society, with Argentine President Javier Milei disclosing his own special habits on Thursday.

>"Under no circumstances" would Milei break his custom of watching World Cup matches from the presidential residence, he told El Observador radio.

>Over in saleswoman Estela Vargas's house, match rituals are set in stone -- everyone wears the same clothes and sits in the same chair, while the dog must stay outside.

>"In the match against England, since he's an English bulldog, we put an Argentina jersey on him," the 65-year-old said.

>"For Spain, rain or shine, he stays outside."

>In Graciela Campos's home, it is her mother-in-law who has to leave the room.

>"She goes into the kitchen and knits a blue-and-white scarf," Campos said.

>- 'Feeling involved' -

>These wacky habits are no joke to those who practice them.

>"In football, Argentines don't feel like spectators but like protagonists," sociologist Diego Murzi told AFP.

>"Rituals are part of that -- feeling involved by bringing good luck and warding off bad luck," he said.

>"It's something very present throughout the world of football," Murzi added, pointing to former coach Carlos Bilardo as a prime example of the phenomenon.

>Bilardo, who coached the team that won the World Cup in 1986, is "a man of science, but a superstitious person to an extreme degree", said Murzi.

>The sociologist recalled the story of a phone that rang in the locker room during Argentina's first match.

>"A player picked it up, and no one answered," he said.

>"Bilardo saw that and, since Argentina won, before every match he would have someone call that phone, have the same player answer, and make sure no one responded."

>- 'Works every time' -

>Wild excitement and frayed nerves come together in many of the capital's neighborhoods, almost all of which are decked out in blue and white.

>"All my rituals work every time," said retiree Lidia Otero, who adores the national team just as much as her beloved Boca Juniors.

>The 74-year-old walked AFP through the specific gestures and chants she hurls at the TV when the other team is in possession.

>In the first half of the semi-final against England, she said, "the dog sat watching the TV and Argentina didn't score".

>"You know what?" she continued. "In the second half I turned her around, and that's when the result turned around."

>Football legend Diego Maradona, who died in 2020, remains a figure of reverence in Argentina.

>Maradona's former home in the Villa Devoto neighborhood in Buenos Aires is the site of an altar to honor the beloved number 10.

>Nor has the age-old tradition of freezing Argentina's opponents faded.

>"I grab the player's sticker and put it in the freezer. My grandpa taught me that," said 11-year-old die-hard Messi fan Rodrigo Serna.

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