Argentina President Javier Milei will not attend his nation's World Cup final fixture with Spain alongside Donald Trump
David Schneidman Sports Betting and Fantasy Writer and Mark Wakefield Sport Central Audience Writer 13:05, 19 Jul 2026Updated 13:06, 19 Jul 2026
Argentina's president, Javier Milei, will not be in attendance at MetLife Stadium to watch the World Cup final. US President Donald Trump will be at the stadium for the fixture, along with several other world leaders.
However, Milei will not be at the stadium to watch Argentina face Spain in the final due to his own superstitious reasons, which he has followed throughout his country’s run in the tournament in North America.
Milei assumed office as Argentina’s president in December 2023 and has made it clear that he does not want to risk jinxing his country’s hopes of winning the World Cup by changing his habits for the final in New Jersey.
Rather than joining Trump, Spain's King Felipe IV, and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, Milei will watch the match from his presidential residence in Buenos Aires, where he has been glued to his seat for all seven of Argentina's victories so far this tournament.
When quizzed on whether he would make the trip to New Jersey for the final, Milei simply replied: "No way."
But there's more to it than that. Milei plans to wear the very same jacket he has worn for much of the tournament, in the hope it helps Lionel Messi and his teammates clinch back-to-back World Cup glory.
"Since it's cold and I don't turn on the heat, I wear an oil company-branded jacket. The day of the Switzerland game, it made me really hot. I took it off, and they scored a goal against us. I put it back on and never took it off again," Milei said, via ESPN.
Milei's conduct is nothing new in Argentina. He is simply the latest in a lengthy line of Argentine presidents to avoid tempting fate with their national side.
Ahead of the 1990 World Cup, then-president Carlos Menem paid the squad a visit before they suffered a stunning opening defeat to Cameroon. Ever since, no Argentine president has been known to attend a World Cup match.
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Supporters across Argentina are also renowned for following their own distinctive superstitions – known as "cabalas" – in a bid to boost their national team or bring misfortune upon their rivals.
Despite snubbing the invitation to the match, Milei would almost certainly have been more than happy to sit alongside Trump under any other circumstances.
Milei is perhaps best recognised by Americans for his tight bond with Trump, whose political campaigning and messaging he has largely mirrored, even adopting the motto 'Make Argentina Great Again' in homage to the US President's iconic MAGA slogan.
Trump has even referred to Milei as his "favourite president" – a remark that FIFA President Gianni Infantino may not want to hear.
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The pair share such a close bond that, in October 2025, Trump tied a currency swap worth $20 billion (£14.9billion) to Milei's electoral triumph, providing a significant lifeline to Argentina's beleaguered economy. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed that Argentina has since settled the swap in full.
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