Argentina at Christmas: Faith, Finance, and the World Cup Afterglow

As festive images proliferate, from Arctic sledges to bright Christmas scenes at the southern edge of the world, Argentines face a familiar question about faith. Official church figures show that a large majority identify with Catholicism, yet only a small share attend weekly services. On this Christmas Eve, a new, shared sentiment emerged around Rosario’s central figure of Christ, sparking a quiet, collective celebration. Lionel Messi’s legacy, teased by advertisers as the ultimate gift for a nation weary from sports fever every four years, became a symbol that day. In Buenos Aires, a massive open-air gathering echoed with the arrival of champions, and thousands of families prepared for collective rituals and meals that transcended belief, reaching believers, agnostics, atheists, and skeptics alike. In the days that followed, many raised glasses at home, as if toasting a gleaming version of the World Cup trophy won in Qatar.