Brazilian José Arnaldo dos Santos Junior fervently supported his national team in the stands in Qatar. But since the elimination in the quarter-finals of the World Cup, he is fully behind … Messi’s Argentina, despite the historic rivalry between Seleçao and Albiceleste. “I think the Argentinians deserve this title“, tells AFP this 38-year-old dentist who wears “with pride” a jersey from the neighboring country in the streets of Sao Paulo.
On Tuesday, he enthusiastically celebrated each of Argentina’s three goals in the semi-final once morest Croatia (3-0). “The Argentinians follow with passion their heart club and their national team, which plays with the knife between the teeth. All true football fans will be behind them“, he adds. Alexandre Caldas, a 49-year-old economist, will also support Argentina in the grand final once morest France on Sunday.
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Like many Brazilians, he is a fan of Lionel Messi, who is trying to win the supreme title at 35, at the twilight of his career, the only one missing from his huge list. “After Brazil’s elimination, I started supporting Argentina because Messi is the greatest player I’ve seen play. He still plays at an impressive level and it would only be right for him to be crowned“, he declares.
His eight-year-old son Bernardo is also a fan of the seven-time Ballon d’Or. “He’s crazy regarding Messi, he even wants to learn Spanish so he can ask him for an autograph“, he says. For the vast majority of Brazilians, “King” Pelé is the best player of all time, no offense to Maradona fans. But as for the current generation, Neymar is far from unanimous, with his bling-bling style and his support for former far-right president Jair Bolsonaro – the complete opposite of Messi, less divisive and more discreet.
According to a poll published on the eve of the quarter-finals, 33% of Brazilians chose Argentina as their “second team“favorite, following Seleçao. But 60% of respondents also said that they would in no way wish to see the historic rival lift the trophy in Qatar… After the Albiceleste’s failed debut once morest Saudi Arabia ( 2-1), Brazilian Internet users did not hesitate to confuse their neighbours. One of them, for example, posted the message: “Don’t cry for me Argentina”, in reference to the song rendered famous by Madonna and soundtrack of the film “Evita”, the biopic on Eva Peron.
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But Lionel Scaloni’s men quickly rectified the situation and even the most illustrious of Brazilians showed his admiration for Messi. On Tuesday, Pelé watched Argentina’s number 10 shine in the semi-finals from his hospital bed, as his daughter Kely showed on Instagram. Another mythical number 10, Rivaldo is full of praise for the one who wrote, like him, the most beautiful pages of his club career at FC Barcelona.
“Brazil and Neymar are no longer there, so I’m for Argentina. Leo Messi, you deserved to be world champion earlier, but God knows it and you will be crowned on Sunday“, wrote the 1999 Ballon d’Or on Tuesday on Instagram. Ronaldo, world champion with Rivaldo in 2002, is more shared. “It’s clear that I would be happy for him, but there is a big rivalry between Brazil and Argentina“, he tempered during a round table in Doha with several media, including AFP. “I’m not going to be a hypocrite and say I’ll be happy for Argentina.“if she is champion, he commented.
From there to support France… Ronaldo suffered two bitter defeats once morest the Blues in the World Cup, in the final in 1998 and in the quarterfinals in 2006, with his friend Zidane in the role of the executioner of the Seleçao. And his elders had also lost once morest the tricolor in the quarter-finals in 1986. “Between France and Argentina, I prefer Argentina, because it’s Messi’s last World Cup. I will leave the rivalry aside because of him“, sums up Giolia Araki, a 23-year-old influencer.
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