Argentine President Javier Milei has announced that he will not travel to the United States to attend the 2026 World Cup final, in which his country's national team faces Spain next Sunday, preferring instead to follow the match on screen from his presidential residence in Olivos — as he has done since the tournament began. The decision reflects his adherence to a deeply rooted luck-bringing ritual in Argentine football culture known as "Cábala." The Cábala is a well-established popular and cultural practice among Argentine fans and players, based on repeating specific actions and behaviours to bring about positive results and ward off bad fortune. These practices include keeping fixed seating positions, wearing the same shirts, or maintaining the same daily routine during matches for as long as the national team keeps winning.
The concept of the Cábala extends back decades in the history of Argentine football. The legendary coach Carlos Bilardo, who led Argentina to the title in 1986, was famous for imposing a rigid set of rituals on his players, including sitting in designated seats on the team bus and playing specific songs before matches.
This approach continued at the 2022 Qatar World Cup, where coach Lionel Scaloni and the players — led by Lionel Messi — adhered to strict Cábalas encompassing the order in which they walked onto the pitch, the way they drank the traditional maté beverage, and entering the field with the right foot first. This reinforced supporters' belief that these habits represent a tactical and psychological shield that carries the squad towards the winners' podium.
With Argentina reaching the 2026 final against Spain, questions are mounting in sporting circles over whether the Cábala will once again prove to be the trump card that secures a fourth title in the history of "La Albiceleste."
Although the technical factors and tactical readiness of Messi's teammates remain the primary determining force on the pitch, the presidential and public insistence on observing these rituals reflects the psychological confidence and high morale that this tradition instils in the team and its supporters. The belief in the Cábala thus becomes a complementary moral weapon on which Argentines are betting to write a new chapter of global glory.