A river of worn-out and tireless voices made their pilgrimage to the Obelisk after Argentina’s victory over England, which takes the Albiceleste to the World Cup final. With feet in the air, it is safe to say that on Bolívar Street, no one is English.
Car horns fueled the fire of joy. Kiosks closed and employees headed to the gathering at the iconic Buenos Aires landmark, where hundreds of fans gathered. Argentina defeated England 2-1 at the Atlanta Stadium and will now defend the title against Spain. After a hard-fought match, Lionel Scaloni’s team reacted in the final stretch and turned the game around in seven minutes, with a stunning goal by Enzo Fernández and a header by Lautaro Martínez in added time.
In the microcenter, the echo of shouts, engines, and cumbia music reverberated from the few shops still open. Police officers huddled on Avenida de Mayo feigned sobriety. «You suffer, you suffer with this match. We couldn’t lose, especially against them [England], but now, let’s celebrate calmly,» warned Pablo, a Federal Police officer who preferred not to give his last name.
On 9 de Julio Avenue, all lanes were taken over by flags and Lionel Messi jerseys. Vendor José Portillo arrived from Mar del Plata loaded with flags since 7 a.m. «I was sure we would win, and I haven’t stopped. Now I’ll stay until morning,» he said, waving a flag with one hand and receiving change with the other.
There were fireworks and endless chants. «You’re cowards, you’re cowards, England you’re cowards,» the crowd shouted as they walked toward the Obelisk, which was flooded with the smell of gunpowder. A Spider-Man hung with Julián Álvarez’s jersey on the traffic light at 9 de Julio and Corrientes, right behind the besieged Buenos Aires landmark.
Micaela and Álvaro were also in the Plaza de la República. They are not just any couple. She is Argentine and he is Spanish. The two countries will face off on Sunday in the final to be held in New Jersey. Dressed in the Argentine jersey, Álvaro claimed Spain will win 4-0, though later changed it to 2-1. She threatens divorce and fires back with a 2-2 draw and penalties.
The young couple met while traveling through Southeast Asia and have been in Argentina for three months. They will also watch the final here. «May the best team win,» Álvaro concludes.
But it wasn’t just downtown Buenos Aires that vibrated with celebrations. Neighbors also mobilized in different neighborhoods: Palermo, Belgrano, Villa Urquiza, Flores, Caballito, and many more. «He who doesn’t jump is English, he who doesn’t shout is English,» was the chant of everyone, in a city turned into a party.
The historic comeback of the national team produced immense joy. «Enormous and immense the joy we feel,» said Patricia Orilo from Cabildo and Juramento in the Belgrano neighborhood. She is from Chubut and watched the match in Buenos Aires, where she has business ventures.
«We know we have a golden team, that we have the best players, so there was no way we could lose this match,» she reflected on the final outcome.
On the emotional and historical significance of the victory over England, she added: «It means everything. I have no words to describe what it means to have beaten England. We have no words of gratitude for everything this team makes us live. Incredible, the boys.»
By 7:30 p.m., the human tide occupied about seven blocks on Cabildo Avenue. Argentina’s passage to another World Cup final also resonated with those who have lived through different generations of the national team’s history. Carlos García, a 67-year-old resident of Belgrano, followed the match with the experience of having seen all the championships for decades. «I lived it intensely,» he summarized before comparing Lionel Scaloni’s team to the champion of Mexico 1986.
For him, the victory over England once again confirmed a trademark of this cycle: «It has a lot of heart, a lot of drive, and always moves forward.» Not even the 1-0 deficit with ten minutes remaining made him lose confidence. «It was spectacular,» he summed up after the comeback, while celebrating on the street with his granddaughters. Looking ahead to the final, he left a message mixing hope and gratitude: «Hopefully we win. And if not, it doesn’t matter. We got this far, but it’s great.»
Another Carlos, a 66-year-old Buenos Aires native, also turned to memory to measure the moment. After having seen the titles of 1978, 1986, and 2022, he was moved to think about another world final. He said he never lost faith. «I felt we would equalize. They sat back, they got scared, and that made Argentina grow,» he explains.
For him, Scaloni’s team holds a unique place in the history of Argentine football: «I’ve never seen a team like this. And I’ve been around for a while.»
Among the celebrations in the Belgrano neighborhood, a dimension that transcended sports also emerged. Andrea especially celebrated that the victory was against England and linked the result to the memory of the dispute over the Falkland Islands. «It’s the greatest thing to have won this match and against the English,» she said. For her, the victory awakened «a total feeling of joy, not just for football,» because, as she expressed, «the English stole our Malvinas from us, and that is a pain we cannot avoid.» Amid smiles, she summed up her satisfaction with a phrase: «They’re out again because of Argentina.»
At the meeting point for Villa Urquiza residents, the iconic corner of Triunvirato and Olazábal, there were Argentine flags and jerseys of all colors. The home jersey, the violet one from the 2022 World Cup, Diego’s from ’94… Even the dogs wore the Albiceleste. Within two blocks, car horns didn’t stop. And pot-banging joined in.
Families walked along the sidewalks straight to the meeting point. Children carried vuvuzelas. They hugged, they cried. «Champion team,» shouted a man running to hug his friends at Mendoza and Ávalos. «And you see it and you see it, he who doesn’t jump is English,» sang the crowd advancing along Triunvirato, which by 6:30 p.m. was already blocked by a patrol car. There were fireworks.
They alternated with «Come, come, sing with me, that a friend you will find. That hand in hand with Leo Messi, we’ll go all the way.» Then came the classic. It was impossible to gauge the number of people and flags.
Five school friends agreed to meet. «Sofi is missing, she’s on her way,» they explained, all dressed in the Albiceleste. «I can’t believe it. For the second time. Let’s go, damn it!» shouted Lara.
«Total emotion,» said Daniela, waiting for her daughters to come out of a shop on Triunvirato. «We watched it in here. Incredible,» she stated.
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