Argentine President Javier Milei Chooses Superstition Over World Cup Final Attendance

In Buenos Aires, Argentina, President Javier Milei announced he would not attend the World Cup final due to superstition. Instead, he will watch the match between Spain and Argentina from home, where he has viewed the defending champion’s previous seven victorious games during the tournament. He plans to wear the same heavy jacket he wore during those victories to help secure his nation’s second consecutive title.

Superstitions are common among fans and players worldwide, who believe these practices can bring luck or misfortune to teams. In Latin America, particularly Argentina, ritualistic beliefs and habits, known as “cábalas,” are deeply rooted, reflecting the passion with which many watch their national team.

Milei, appearing in Buenos Aires on May 25, explained in a radio interview with El Observador that he would remain in Olivos, his presidential residence, to watch the match instead of traveling to New Jersey to watch alongside U.S. President Donald Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino. “No way,” he stated, when asked if he would travel for the game.

“I’m going to keep watching all the games from Olivos,” Milei said, affirming that superstition was the reason for his decision.

Milei shared another ritual: “Since it’s cold, and I never turn on the heat, I wear an oil company-branded jacket. During the Switzerland game, it made me hot, and I took it off. They scored against us. I put it back on and never took it off again.”

Like Milei, many Argentines follow cábalas, sticking to the same routines if their team is winning. Some wear the same clothes for each match, refusing to wash jerseys throughout the World Cup. Others watch games from the same spot or abstain from watching if they were in the bathroom when Argentina scored.

Minor actions can take on significant meaning during matches. In one widely viewed video, a group of fans began reading from the Bible when Argentina started scoring against Egypt, repeating the ritual every match since. To affect rival teams, some freeze figurines of players or pieces of paper with opponents’ names.

Argentine presidents have traditionally been cautious about attending crucial World Cup matches to avoid bad luck. This superstition dates back to the 1990 tournament when then-President Carlos Menem visited the squad before a shocking loss to Cameroon. Menem was dubbed a “mufa,” or jinx, and no sitting Argentine president has attended a national team match since.