Milei Skips World Cup Final in New York as 60% of Argentines Disapprove
Updated
Updated · POLITICO · Jul 19
Milei Skips World Cup Final in New York as 60% of Argentines Disapprove
3 articles · Updated · POLITICO · Jul 19
Summary
Javier Milei will watch Sunday’s World Cup final from Buenos Aires rather than New York, avoiding a presidential trip as Argentina’s team insists on keeping politics away from the match.
Messi’s squad has repeatedly distanced itself from partisan symbolism, declining a presidential-palace celebration after the last World Cup and steering clear of political gestures during this tournament.
A long-running feud with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez hangs over the final, but Argentine officials say Milei has little incentive to inject that clash into an event treated as almost sacred at home.
Political superstition also shapes the decision: Argentine presidents have largely avoided attending matches since Carlos Menem’s 1990 trip preceded a shock defeat that left him branded a jinx.
The final still carries political upside for Milei, whose approval has sagged amid rising unemployment and corruption cases around aides, with about 60% of voters now disapproving of his performance.