Sawt Falasteen - Argentine superstition ramps up ahead of World Cup final

Lionel Messi's men are just one game away from retaining their title after beating old foes England 2-1 in Wednesday's semi-final in Atlanta.

But as adrenaline levels soar, supporters need something to calm the nerves.

Good luck rituals are common across the South American nation and a healthy dose of superstition is helping fans cope with the pressure.

During the match, "no one moves from the spot they occupied the last time," Andres Gonzalez told AFP in the working-class Liniers neighborhood of Buenos Aires.

The self-declared "football addict" believes it is essential for everybody to follow the rules.

"If you went to the bathroom and there's a goal, we lock you in. You stay there until the match is over," the 48-year-old accountant explained with conviction.

- 'Cabala' -

Gonzalez is referring to a "cabala" -- a ritual believed to bring good luck.

Such practices take place throughout society, with Argentine President Javier Milei disclosing his own special habits on Thursday.

"Under no circumstances" would Milei break his custom of watching World Cup matches from the presidential residence, he told El Observador radio.

Over in saleswoman Estela Vargas's house, match rituals are set in stone -- everyone wears the same clothes and sits in the same chair, while the dog must stay outside.

"In the match against England, since he's an English bulldog, we put an Argentina jersey on him," the 65-year-old said.

"For Spain, rain or shine, he stays outside."

In Graciela Campos's home, it is her mother-in-law who has to leave the room.

"She goes into the kitchen and knits a blue-and-white scarf," Campos said.

- 'Feeling involved' -

These wacky habits are no joke to those who practice them.

"In football, Argentines don't feel like spectators but like protagonists," sociologist Diego Murzi told AFP.

"Rituals are part of that -- feeling involved by bringing good luck and warding off bad luck," he said.

"It's something very present throughout the world of football," Murzi added, pointing to former coach Carlos Bilardo as a prime example of the phenomenon.

Bilardo, who coached the team that won the World Cup in 1986, is "a man of science, but a superstitious person to an extreme degree", said Murzi.

The sociologist recalled the story of a phone that rang in the locker room during Argentina's first match.

"A player picked it up, and no one answered," he said.

"Bilardo saw that and, since Argentina won, before every match he would have someone call that phone, have the same player answer, and make sure no one responded."

- 'Works every time' -

Wild excitement and frayed nerves come together in many of the capital's neighborhoods, almost all of which are decked out in blue and white.

"All my rituals work every time," said retiree Lidia Otero, who adores the national team just as much as her beloved Boca Juniors.

The 74-year-old walked AFP through the specific gestures and chants she hurls at the TV when the other team is in possession.

In the first half of the semi-final against England, she said, "the dog sat watching the TV and Argentina didn't score".

"You know what?" she continued. "In the second half I turned her around, and that's when the result turned around."

Football legend Diego Maradona, who died in 2020, remains a figure of reverence in Argentina.

Maradona's former home in the Villa Devoto neighborhood in Buenos Aires is the site of an altar to honor the beloved number 10.

Nor has the age-old tradition of freezing Argentina's opponents faded.

"I grab the player's sticker and put it in the freezer. My grandpa taught me that," said 11-year-old die-hard Messi fan Rodrigo Serna.

F.Qawasmeh--SF-PST