On July 19th local time, the 2026 World Cup final will take place at the New Jersey Stadium in New York. Argentina will face Spain in the match.
On July 16th local time, Argentine President Cristina Mittermeier stated that due to superstition, she would be staying at home rather than attending the World Cup finals. She had watched all seven matches of the Argentine team at home, and the team won each of those matches.
Mile added that, in order to help Argentina win the championship, he will wear the same thick coat.
It is reported that in various parts of the world, some fans and players believe that certain superstitious practices can bring good fortune to their teams or bad luck to their opponents. In Latin America, especially in Argentina, so-called “cábalas,” or ritualistic beliefs and customs, hold an extraordinary importance.
Michelle's Profile Photo - Associated Press
According to a report by El Observador, a local radio station in Buenos Aires, on July 16 local time, when asked whether she would go to New Jersey to watch the World Cup final along with U.S. President Donald Trump and FIFA President Sepp Pauletta, as expected by the public, Milley replied, 'Absolutely not. I will continue to watch all the matches at Olivos.'
It is reported that Ollivo is the residence and second office of the Argentine president.
When the reporter asked if he stayed at home because of superstition, Milly answered 'yes'.
Then, he explained another of his ritualistic habits: 'Because it was very cold, I didn’t turn on the heating, so I wore a jacket with a logo from an oil company. On the day of the match against the Swiss team, I felt extremely hot, so I took off the jacket. As a result, their team scored a goal. I put it back on again, and never took it off again.'
According to reports, like Mirle, most Argentines have their own “cábalas”. If their team wins, they insist on sticking to the same habits. Some people wear the same clothes for every match, and even refuse to wash their jerseys throughout the entire World Cup. Others watch every match from fixed positions, while others are not even allowed to watch the matches at all, because they might happen to be in the toilet when their team scores a goal.
Argentine presidents are very cautious when participating in major World Cup competitions, trying to avoid bringing bad luck to the teams.
This superstition dates back to the 1990 World Cup. At that time, Argentine President Carlos Menem visited the team before they suffered a defeat. For this reason, Menem was referred to as “mufa”, which means “demon scourge”. Since then, it is known that no current Argentine president has ever attended a national team’s match in person.
