Why Argentina President Javier Milei Skips World Cup Final Despite Donald Trump’s Presence

L-R: Lionel Messi; US President Donald Trump and Argentine President Javier Milei (AP Photos) Argentine President Javier Milei will not be in the stands for Sunday’s World Cup final against Spain despite invitations to join US President Donald Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino in New Jersey. Instead, Milei says he will stay at the presidential residence in Buenos Aires, convinced that sticking to a match-day routine gives Argentina the best chance of retaining the World Cup.Argentina’s leader revealed on Thursday that the superstition – known locally as cábalas – was the sole reason for his decision to miss football’s biggest game. Argentina have won all seven World Cup matches he has watched from home during the tournament, and Milei is unwilling to risk having the streak broken.“No way,” Milei said when asked by Buenos Aires radio station El Observador if he would travel to New Jersey for the finals.“I will continue to watch all the matches from Olivos,” he added, referring to the presidential palace.The decision means Milei will miss the opportunity to watch the final alongside Trump, one of his closest international allies, and Infantino, both of whom are expected to attend the trophy presentation after the match.

Jacket for luck and football rituals

Milei also revealed another ritual that has become part of Argentina’s unbeaten run.“Because it’s cold and I don’t turn on the heating, I’m wearing an oil company branded jacket. On the day of the Switzerland match, I got really hot. I took it off and they scored a goal for us. I put it back on and never took it off again,” he explained.The president’s routine reflects a much wider soccer culture in Argentina, where cabalas occupy an almost sacred place during major tournaments.Many fans refuse to wash their jerseys during the World Cup if the team is winning. Others insist on watching every game from the same chair or with the same group of friends. Some fans even believe they have to stay at the exact spot where Argentina previously scored, while others avoid changing the pre-match routine.One viral video during this World Cup showed a group of supporters reading passages from the Bible just as Argentina started to score against Egypt. After the victory, they repeated the ritual before every other match. Other fans resort to frosty figurines or pieces of paper with opponents’ names on them, believing it will bring bad luck to rival teams.

A longstanding presidential superstition

Mileio’s decision also follows an unusual tradition among Argentine presidents.This belief dates back to the 1990 World Cup, when then-president Carlos Menem visited the Argentina team shortly before their shock opening defeat to Cameroon. Menem was subsequently branded a “mufa” – a scumbag – and since then sitting Argentine presidents have generally avoided attending important World Cup matches involving the national team.For many Argentinians, the superstition has become part of football folklore and Milei seems determined not to become a leader who breaks it.

Trump is going to attend the finals

While Milei will stay home, the White House confirmed that Trump will attend Sunday’s finale at New York-New Jersey Stadium.White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the US president was looking forward to the match, describing the tournament as “the most watched, most secured and most successful FIFA World Cup in American history”.Trump is also expected to attend a FIFA reception at Trump Tower before the final. Infantino confirmed that the US president is expected to join him in presenting the World Cup winner’s trophy to the winning captain, continuing the tradition established by the host nation’s leaders at the previous finals.The 2022 trophy ceremony in Qatar featured Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani alongside Infantino as Lionel Messi lifted the World Cup, while Russian President Vladimir Putin joined the FIFA boss during France’s 2018 triumph.This time, however, Argentina’s president will be watching from hundreds of miles away, wrapped in the same jacket for good luck, hoping that keeping faith in his cabal is enough to help the defending champions lift the World Cup again.