Far from our land, we remain passionate and superstitious people, full of rituals. Of meaningless rites. At home, we believe that winning depends on the flag being next to the TV in the same position it was on the first day. That one of the dozen of us gathered to watch the final starts the match without the jersey and puts it on halfway through the game. And if things get tough, we turn the fan towards the balcony, not facing the living room, and end up sweating because of it, as we did against Cape Verde, and the match unlocked.
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Also freezing rivals, a star method this World Cup. The recipe is simple: write the name of a player or rival team on a piece of paper and put it in the freezer to deactivate them from a distance. A photo works too. Freezing, pure science. We’re not crazy, the whole country does it. Poor Vozinha, humble Cape Verdean goalkeeper, ended up among ice creams and a bag of peas. For Egypt, a miracle match, Anto, Giuliana, and Mela, the ritual performers at home, decided the situation was serious and froze the entire country. Against England, it was Declan Rice’s turn in sticker form, an image that appeared – more coincidence impossible – in a pack bought for the occasion. Fate willed it. Imagine being invited to an Argentine’s house and being greeted by a poor Englishman shivering when going for ice. Lamine better get ready to go to the middle drawer, because the method has been working. It will be in paper form, since the sticker is valuable. Although in such a diverse Spain, it will be hard to choose the condemned.
Humble Vozinha or Declan Rice have already felt the cold this World Cup: will it be harder to get it right with Spain?
Everything is contradictory, something very Argentine. We trust cheap spells when Lionel Messi is still on the field. Because of my youth, I don’t dare to say the best of all time. Years ago, I asked my father, who saw both, if Messi was better than Maradona, the only possible debate. “He lacks the World Cup,” he repeated to me many times, sparing with words. Today he no longer doubts. Even walking on the grass, pacing himself, he remains our hope. I landed in this newsroom in 2014. Luckily or unluckily, maybe also because of laziness, they nicknamed me Messi, for being Argentine. The nickname is kept by the old guard, Joaquín Luna at the forefront. That’s why I am, whether I want to or not, another loyal soldier in his army. Combative until the end, which several have paid for. Spain knows that a 2-0 can be a short lead at the 80th minute. That’s when we get fired up.
Messi has a loyal army that doesn’t give up until the end: a 2-0 at the 80th minute can be a short result
Tomorrow we will repeat rituals. Packed in an apartment where we don’t fit, we will freeze, we will suffer. Let Spain think about how to nullify number 10. Whether with double marking or targeting his ankle. But please, at home don’t copy our infallible method. Although my boss threatens me with dismissal if we win, don’t freeze Messi.
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