Facundo Iglesia is on the ground for us in Buenos Aires to take in the atmosphere among Argentina fans:
As the World Cup final approaches, Argentines are fully embracing their signature fervor and traditions. In the lead-up to the match, thousands—primarily parents accompanied by their children—flocked to Parque Rivadavia in Buenos Aires to trade and purchase Panini stickers, racing against the clock to complete their collections. Many fans humorously placed stickers of Spanish players in freezers, engaging in a quirky superstition intended to jinx the rival team.
On the day of the final, despite the steady rain, hundreds of supporters are gathered at the Obelisco, the city’s focal point for celebrating the national team, regardless of the match outcome. The streets leading to this iconic monument are bustling with fans and street vendors selling flags, face paint, and plastic ponchos.
María de las Nieves López, a pizzeria owner from Paraguay who traveled from Ezeiza, located 35 kilometers from the capital, remains undeterred by the rain or the absence of a large screen nearby.
“It’s Lio [Messi]’s last one. We wanted to come and cheer him and the rest of the squad on – to support them from here. We’ll watch the game on our phones if we have to,” she said.
López, who has resided in Argentina for 25 years, clutched a 20-year-old doll she believes brings “had watched all the games.” as it “Well, we’ve been winning so far,”
“I promised her that, if Argentina wins the final, I’ll buy her a new dress.” she said. “fan-centric pre-match ceremony”
The closing ceremony is expected to kick off shortly; however, it has not yet begun despite being scheduled 90 minutes before the match. Delays are common when Donald Trump attends sporting events due to security measures. It remains uncertain if the kickoff will be postponed, but adjustments to the ceremony may be made to expedite the proceedings. Surely, no one would mind if Robbie Williams had to be cut from the lineup.
Alexander Abnos is at the stadium for us, and he has some team updates (sort of):
Spain have just entered the stadium and are wandering around in the center of the field. A team of FIFA volunteers is gathered, holding what appears to be a very large tarp, likely essential for the closing ceremony. It seems that Spain’s team may need to relocate….
And here comes the tarp! It’s a rather artistic yet somewhat gaudy representation of various New York City landmarks. Clockwise from the bottom left on your screens, you can see: The new Calatrava train hub at the World Trade Center, 1 World Trade, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Empire State Building, The Vessel, an unrecognized building, the Guggenheim, the Chrysler Building, the Statue of Liberty, 30 Rock, the Washington Square Arch, and the Flatiron Building.
Exciting news from FIFA! Today’s festivities will feature a “an immersive, 360-degree concept that transforms the stadium into a shared stage. No matter where supporters are seated, each will have a distinct and engaging perspective, with extra-large country flag banners and on-pitch elements carefully positioned to involve the crowd in an authentic and meaningful way.” described as “the youth programme and players’ tunnel will feature both traditional and new integrations of FIFA’s Commercial Partners, thanks to the involvement of adidas, Coca-Cola, Kia, Mengniu, Qatar Airways and Quaker.”
There might even be a hologram involved. There always seems to be one. On top of that, FIFA is finally acknowledging its sponsors: “additional elements such as coloured smoke or pyrotechnics.” Initially, I misread that as “quakers” and expected a silent prayer meeting, which could have been quite pleasant.
The pre-match ceremony will also feature “additional elements such as colored smoke or pyrotechnics.” Colored smoke OR pyrotechnics? For $5,000 a ticket, one might expect both options! This game better deliver.
Kevin Hart is legally required to attend any event in the US that attracts a crowd exceeding 598 people. Hence, he is present at today’s final.
Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan reported that the World Cup has generated approximately $20 billion in economic activity in the US, roughly equivalent to the cost of three tickets to today’s final. It is worth noting that the economic impact figures for sporting events can often be questionable at best:
Hello. And welcome to our Everything But The Football liveblog of the World Cup final, which suddenly seems more pertinent now that FIFA has transformed the World Cup final into a Super Bowl (allegedly one of 104 Super Bowls at this year’s tournament!).
What does Gianni and his team have prepared for the audience? We can anticipate:
1) A very popular, articulate, and intelligent president Donald Trump making an appearance to face boos from attendees who have paid good money to express their discontent (this has happened at other events: the 2026 NBA finals, the 2017 World Series, the 2025 Ryder Cup, the 2025 US Open men’s tennis final, and a random Washington Commanders game last season).
Additionally, a half-time show will feature BTS, Shakira, Madonna, Burna Boy, and Justin Bieber, all overseen by curator of loving grace, Chris Martin.
But first! A closing ceremony is set to begin 90 minutes before kickoff, featuring streamer IShowSpeed and a host of celebrities who were last relevant at least 25 years ago, including Nicole Scherzinger, Robbie Williams, and Tom Cruise. There’s a 90% chance Cruise will leap from something high (perhaps Gianni’s forehead?).
- World Cup 2026
- World Cup
- Shakira
- Madonna
- BTS
- FIFA
- Donald Trump
