Less than 24 hours before the match between Argentina and England, at Cabildo and Juramento, there is only one topic of conversation. Pizzerias are already expecting to fill their dining rooms. While employees keep an eye on their phones for updates, neighbors are already organizing where to watch the game, and many are putting the finishing touches on their superstitions. The national team hasn’t taken the field yet, but the World Cup atmosphere is already palpable in the neighborhood.
Some businesses have decided to close during the match; others will remain open, though they know foot traffic will drop to a minimum. The exception is restaurants with large screens. «A lot of people come. Some stand outside watching through the window. It’s packed,» says Ariel Fernández, 28, an employee at Accademia della Pizzeria, located at the corner of Avenida Cabildo and Juramento, which is decorated with Argentine flags.
Isaías Hernán, 22, Ariel’s coworker, admits he had hoped to decorate the restaurant specially for the match against the English. «We would have liked to, but no,» he says, making it clear that the pizzeria will maintain the same atmosphere it has had during all the matches.
Not all businesses will experience the day the same way. At the clothing store Rakis, they decided to lower the shutters during the match. «If there’s no overtime, we’ll reopen. But if the match goes long, we’ll close outright,» explains saleswoman Seline Valdez. She and other employees from nearby shops will gather in front of a kiosk’s screen to watch the game.
The clothing store Cuesta Blanca, on the other hand, will remain open, though its employees already know that during Argentina’s matches, the pace changes completely. «Hardly anyone comes in. We watch the broadcast on our phones,» summarizes Araceli Rodríguez, 24.
Among those who will keep working is Alejandra Tomé, 55, a Cabify driver. In her case, the decision is due to a superstition. «The second match caught me driving in a traffic jam, and I’ve kept going ever since. Out of superstition, I have to work,» she says. She listens to Argentine match broadcasts on the radio and has more than once ended up celebrating goals with her passengers. «There are people who watch the game on their phones while listening to the radio with me,» she says.
Delivery drivers are also assessing how the day will go. René Facio, 53, says he usually works when the national team plays, though this time he’ll decide based on how busy the shops are. «If there’s work, I’ll work, but when there’s a match, there’s usually not much work; shops don’t offer delivery,» he states. Born in Cuba and living in Argentina since 2001, he recalls becoming a fan of the national team after watching the 1986 World Cup in Mexico and Diego Maradona’s historic goal.
For others, the buildup involves fulfilling superstitions they consider non-negotiable. Romina Gastaldi, 47, a costume designer, will again meet up with a friend and her two children, who will leave school to watch the match.
Before sitting in front of the TV, she will carry out her superstitions: a long-sleeved shirt under the national team jersey and a pair of Messi socks she has worn since the first match. «I don’t wash anything, neither the shirt nor the socks,» she admits with a laugh. About the clash with England, she acknowledges she experiences it in a special way: «I’m sensitive and emotional. I hope there are no fights, but I want us to win. We have to win.»
Unlike Romina, Ariana Loese, 22, a graphic design student, says the clash with England doesn’t change her expectations much. «For me, it’s just another match,» she says. She already has a fixed plan for every national team match: meeting up with the same group of six or seven friends. «Even if it’s at snack time, the platter has to be there, no matter what. We’ll buy salami, cheese, and potato chips,» she says.
The collective pause also occurs in the healthcare system, where some patients choose to postpone appointments so as not to miss the match, and medical centers must reorganize their schedules.
From Hospital Austral, they indicated that medical activities continue normally, although some professionals decided to reschedule appointments scheduled for the match time.
At a major private hospital in the City of Buenos Aires, meanwhile, they acknowledged that the phenomenon became evident after Argentina’s qualification for the next stage. «What started happening is that many patients began canceling or requesting rescheduling of their appointments. So we chose to reorganize the schedule to give them a solution and avoid a bottleneck later. A huge number of appointments were rescheduled at the patients’ own request,» they explained.
In the City of Buenos Aires, the Ministry of Education confirmed that this Wednesday schools will operate normally. According to them, there will be no general changes to the school day, and during the match time, each institution will autonomously decide how to organize activities, including the students’ dismissal. In the province of Buenos Aires, no modification to the school calendar has been announced so far.
From the University of Buenos Aires, they noted that «in all faculties, the match can be watched, so if [a student] has a [final exam] right before or after the game, they can watch it there.» They also commented that since the start of the World Cup, there have been no instances of a professor giving an exam during a Scaloni-led national team match.
On the other hand, the Catholic University of Argentina (UCA), for example, granted time off from 2:00 PM, so, according to them, very few exam sessions are affected, and there will be normal activity in the morning. «Considering that the Argentine National Team will play one of the semifinals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, seeking to facilitate logistics, availability of transportation, and the safety of our entire community: the Catholic University of Argentina declares a holiday at all its campuses and for all activities,» they stated in a communication sent to the community 72 hours before the match.
The UCA accompanies historic moments and understands the significance of football World Cups, so for other matches, the University opened an auditorium for 1,000 people where the national team’s games were broadcast.
😤 para mi esto es una joda no? cierran todo por la pelotita pero los laburantes ni a palos ven un peso. los sponsors viajan primera y los pibes se matan laburando. me parece un pais de mierda donde el futbol tapa la miseria. viva la lucha obrera no la gilada. salu2
Para mí esto es lo que pasa cuando los zurdos de mierda toman decisiones. Argentina contra Inglaterra es una guerra, y estos putos cierran todo como si fuera joda. La UCA dando asueto me parece una vergüenza. Vamos Argentina carajo, a romperles el orto a los ingleses.