“It’s Not Football, It’s Passion”: Foreigners Share Their Argentinian World Cup Experience

For many foreigners living in Argentina, the World Cup was more than just a series of matches; it was an immersion into the country's fervent passion. Experiencing the tournament alongside locals, they adopted rituals, shared moments of collective anxiety and joy, and ultimately felt a profound sense of belonging.

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Here I saw that it was not just football, but passion and love. What surprised me most was seeing how fans of Boca, River, Independiente, and other clubs put aside their differences to cheer together for the national team.

John Thomasson Sylvinio, from Haiti, who has lived in Argentina for nearly three years, described his first World Cup in the country as an eye-opening experience. He quickly embraced local customs, joining friends to watch games, wearing the same jersey, and keeping mate ready throughout each match. "Here I saw that it was not just football, but passion and love," he recounted. "What surprised me most was seeing how fans of Boca, River, Independiente, and other clubs put aside their differences to cheer together for the national team."

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That was my World Cup moment. That's when I understood that being Argentine was also that: hugging someone you don't know and ending up talking as if you were lifelong friends.

Sylvinio shared a particularly memorable moment during a street celebration when he was accidentally pushed. Instead of conflict, he ended up embracing the person and sharing a drink. "That was my World Cup moment," he recalled. "That's when I understood that being Argentine was also that: hugging someone you don't know and ending up talking as if you were lifelong friends."

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From the first game, the feeling was different. I attribute it to the passion of Argentinians and how easily it is contagious.

Other foreigners echoed these sentiments. Rodney Gómez, an Ecuadorian who arrived two months prior, found himself moved to tears by Lionel Messi's goals, attributing it to the contagious passion of Argentinians. He adopted the tradition of drinking Fernet with Coca for each match and even joined in the popular chant, "He who doesn't jump is English," despite his own Anglo roots. American Hunter Field, living in Argentina for over two years, adopted all the superstitions, from not changing his jersey to his specific drinking glass, and declared, "During this World Cup, I didn't feel like another Argentine: I was Argentine."

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My Argentine friends taught me every chant, every ritual, and every tradition. During this World Cup, I didn't feel like another Argentine: I was Argentine.