Argentina president reveals superstitious 'ritual' pushing Messi and Co. towards World Cup glory

Argentine President Javier Milei has confirmed he will not travel to the United States for Sunday's highly anticipated 2026 World Cup final against Spain.

Instead, the head of state is choosing to remain in Buenos Aires to uphold a strict superstitious routine that he credits with guiding Lionel Messi and the national team to the brink of back-to-back global titles.

Speaking to Buenos Aires radio station El Observador, Milei directly confirmed that his decision to decline a prominent VIP invitation to MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, where he would have sat alongside U.S. President Donald Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino, is rooted entirely in superstition.

"No way," Milei stated when asked if he would break his routine. The president has watched all seven of Argentina's matches from his official residence, Olivos, with each game ending in victory.

This presidential caution stems from a deeply ingrained historical fear in Argentine football culture. In 1990, then-President Carlos Menem visited the national squad right before their shocking opening loss to Cameroon, earning him the permanent status of a jinx.

No sitting Argentine president has attended a national team match since, and Milei is determined not to disrupt the team’s momentum, though he has offered the historic Casa Rosada palace for celebrations should La Albiceleste win.

Milei went on to share a specific match-day ritual tied to his attire. He revealed that he watches every single fixture wearing a jacket branded by Argentina's state energy company, YPF, opting to endure the cold rather than turning on the central heating in his residence.

He detailed a close call during the knockout stages, saying, "The day of the Switzerland game, it made me really hot. I took it off, and they scored a goal against us. I put it back on and never took it off again."

These obsessive practices, known locally as "cabalas," carry immense cultural weight across Argentina. From everyday fans wearing unwashed jerseys and refusing to switch seats, to extreme symbolic measures like writing rivals' names on paper to freeze them in ice, the entire nation has locked into ‘rituals’.

With the final against a dominant Spanish team just hours away, the president and millions of passionate supporters are leaving nothing to chance, relying on their meticulous habits to push Messi's squad over the finish line.