You play like you live: Argentina and its World Cup “a la Argentina”

Argentina was crowned champion in Qatar 2022 and managed to summarize the reality of the country on a playing field for 30 days.

The story began to pay attention to stereotypes. We Argentines, in the eyes of the world, are magnified, arrogant. Partly of course, and outside of the moral debate, because we have some. The team came up with the biggest unbeaten record in its history and all Argentines believed that the cup would land a day after the final in Ezeiza.

Magnified in the most positive way, the fans were even more confident than in the Brazil 2014 preview. The performances, the results, the recent Copa América. A cocktail of valid arguments that made us think there was no one better than us.

And we believe we’re the best but we’re not or we weren’t for a day and the reality hit us against Saudi Arabia as it gives us every day with the inflation numbers the price of the dollar or the corner street good that has accompanied you since you were little.

There are many mysteries in this world, but one of the most interesting is that of Argentina: a country defeated, crushed, divided and completely in ruins, which is still there despite everything, walking, tumbling, but come on, it consists. And Scaloni’s team was downed in the first inning, but it continued. Without logic, without reasoning, like a determined horse, he put on his blinkers and pushed forward. And it came out, in honor of his name Argentina.

A draw against Mexico and Poland made it very difficult for us, it was win or win. So always on the edge, just enough, counting coins, counting to see if we’ve reached the end, never comfortable. Any resemblance to Argentinian daily life is purely coincidental.

And since at one point it was Maradona, like Cristina or Macri, Messi in this case was the person we put all the responsibility on. Because we have to choose someone, to pay tribute to success or to bombard him with criticism in the face of defeat. In short, some head has to fall. We tend to condense stories into one proper name. Although it must be admitted that in this case and contrary to popular Argentine custom, there was no split, we all wanted the leader.

But what would Argentina be without a little beauty? Inflate your chest, enlarge yourself in front of the cameras and take out the animal. “These colors don’t touch,” tacitly recited every movement of the players against the Netherlands. Let’s escape the moral debate for a moment and look with objective eyes. He who does not defend his country is a land seller, a heartless man whether good or bad, and the players did it, to add that pinch of Argentinian identity which some, according to popular demand, have so far lacked.

The semi-final was a hypothetical and unreal example of what Argentina could be if things got back on track once and for all and everyone pulled in the same direction. A 3-0 with a collective effort to take the hat off, from the sweeps and previews of the defense, every mini-win against Modric in the middle, the appearance of an unknown hero like Julián and the well-known Messianic ecstasy to paint it all in gold. Imagine politicians don’t steal, people pay their taxes, there are no bars and cars stop at every corner to let you through. Which country would it be… A copy of the team in that semi-final, the game that showed us what we can be.

And that great force that we can be, we went into the final, for 117 minutes. Saving the 3 goals made Argentina an orchestra. Everything went well, in terms of result and in terms of game it was, we saw it up close. But of course you can’t do without suffering, not in football, not at work, never. 2-2, extra time and another piece of illusion followed by another blow, to leave us in limbo at the last minute and for Dibu to tie it up with wire.

Argentina eventually became champions. well deserved By far the best selection. I’m not going to lie, this story would fit better with a defeat to Argentina, with a title like “the great country that could always be and is a step away” or “always five to the peso.” But no, this finale came from a movie and this finale is fictional. Because Argentina views the world from above, with the delusional belief that it is the best of them all. But when we talk about football, fiction becomes reality.