Heart Attacks & Celebrations - The Final Match
Muchachos, ahora nos volvimo' a ilusionar, quiero ganar la tercera, quiero ser campeón! You may be confused by these, but if you’ve been on football TikTok, or watched the finale game, you’ve probably heard the lyrics being chanted by the Argentinians everywhere.
The morning started out late for everyone, considering that we all had a late night, although time was short, as we all had to be sat somewhere by 10 am to get a good seat to watch the game at noon. A little bit early for a non-football fan although mandatory to really experience it.
So we went out - myself and the Norwegians, or should I call them Vikings, and found a spot. We were soon joined my Sasha, Charlie, and Jules. We all had enthusiasm building up, but it was even more with all the Argentinian friends and families as they started gathering everywhere.
Everyone was excited, as it had been sometime since Argentina had a shot at the World Cup, and 36 years since they had gotten their second cup. As the clock ticked, getting closer to the start time, the crowd got quieter, but the tension and stress was loud in its own right.
And then it all began. The first 45 minutes of the match. We could all see that the Argentinian team was playing much better than the French, and as such, life came back onto the audience. Then came the first goal. Then the second. The celebrations were big, joy and excitement was in the air. If things kept going this way, then the championship was going to be easy.
The mid-game break was lively, everyone excited, smiling, and laughing. We got to know the Argentinian family who was sat in front of us. They were curious and excited to see such a diverse group of people sat together cheering on Argentina. We were representing Canada, Germany, Norway, and the UK, yet were all sat in the streets of Mendoza cheering for Argentina to win the Football Championship.
The second half was a lot more lively than the first, at least for the first half of it. Things were going well, the team was dominating, and the title was within reach. But everything would change. The first French goal came, which brought back a little tension but it was still safe, and then came the second. That one really changed the mood. It made people realize that all the celebrations were too early, and that this was football after all, a game where each and every second matters.
I have to note though that while France was now tied, the Argentinian spirit did not break. The audience still believed in the team, and did not lose hope at all. They had all been thirsting for this moment for the last 36 years, or since they were born.
The silence came in the additional time. The two 15-minute periods were much quieter, since time was less and the stakes were more. There was immense pressure on scoring a goal and securing the win, as that would prevent penalties being used to select the winner. No one wants penalties - they are unpredictable and possibly the most stressful thing anyone could watch in a football game. Minutes into the now fourth period of the game, Argentina scored the third goal, putting them in the lead. The loud silence soon changed into loud celebrations, and we were all celebrating for at least five minutes. On top of chairs, in the middle of the streets, under snow spray, and arms in arms. People hugged, kissed, cried, and sang all at the same time. The title was really within reach now.
Not seconds after the celebrations had calmed down did France score their third goal, wants a game putting the game at a tie. This was heavy on everyone, and the five minutes of happiness turned into a lifetime of sorrow.It looked like Argentina was starting to drop the ball, especially considering the few close shots that were had at this point. But still, the spirits did not break.
The next break was a powerful silence. The game would go to penalties, and no one knew what that would entail. It was now anyone’s game. You could really see the importance of football to all these people, and the big role it played in their lives. It was all they could want, all they could ask for. In a country in a economic crisis and crazy inflation, ignoring all the other problems around, football was the hope for everyone.
Penalties started, and Argentina did well. Scoring goals and preventing the French ones, it was going well. However, people were very careful to celebrate this time. We had all been through the roller coaster that this game had been, and did not want to express joy only for disappointment. Now don’t mistake this for hopelessness - everyone was still hopeful. But after the last two goals of the game, it was better to be ready for whatever the outcome was going to be.
The deciding penalty kick was the quietest and most tense moment I have probably witnessed. Families were in arms praying, eyes glued to screens, breaths held in.
GOAL!
What I witnessed after this was something I had never witnessed before. A new wave of energy, joy, and excitement descended onto everyone. More intense than before. The families were hugging as if they would be together for the last time. They were embracing us as well, the strangers who they had shared a close bond with for the last 2 hours that could never be explained. People were on their knees crying. A dream now became reality. The Argentinians had just won their third football championship, and would now be considered the world champions for the next 4 years.
I really do not know how to explain the situation. I tried to capture what I could. I have a video to go with the pictures. But honestly, no words, in any language, would be capable of describing the scene that was unfolding in front of us. We were all part of the celebrations as well, for the energy and joy was contagious.
Time would go by very quick yet slowly for the next bit. At some point we went to the hostel to do a quick change before heading back to the streets. We walked kilometers, yelling, chanting, dancing, everything. The whole city, which was dormant all morning, had now erupted.
I tried to compare these celebrations to others I have seen but I failed. I thought that it would be similar to celebrations in Lebanon, but this was on a whole different magnitude. People climbing everything within sight, little kids on roofs of cars, the whole thing. Once again, let the pictures speak, for no words are enough.
At some point, we decided to head back. We were out of energy, and it seems that the crowds were only growing. It was probably 3 hours since the win, but it looked like the number of people had doubled. Maybe for us tourists, we did not feel it the same way the locals did. Sure it was nice to experience, and we shared the excitement and joy, but we also did not connect with this win on the same level as all these people did.
We went back to the hostel, where we would rest for a few hours by the pool. It was evening now, and almost everyone was back, sharing their experience. But there was a bigger problem descending. No one knew how long the celebrations lasted, and how they would affect our food situation. From what we had seen, everything was closed right after the game, and remained so. It was still not 8 pm, when restaurants opened, but there was no certainty on the availability of anywhere. If the crowds were the same, there would be no options.
We waited around till 8 pm, the official opening time, and then gathered a group and head out in search of food. It was best to walk towards another part of the city, away from where the celebrations had been, as the chances would be higher. Yet again, no one had been there and as such, no one knew if there was any celebration there or not.
We were lucky that we found a parilla open. All the energy exhaustion turned into hunger, and I really needed a heavy steak at that point. I do apologize for not having photos of the parilla board that we shared, contained a mixture of cuts of beef, but the hunger was really much more powerful. The great meal was followed by a quick stop for ice cream, before returning to the hostel.
Curiosity got the better part of some of us, specifically Charlie, Sasha, and myself, and so, we decided to go out again to see the state of the celebrations. The crowds had definitely changed, it was a smaller crowd than before, since many had gone home, although it was a lot more concentrated and dense.
We were probably there for half an hour before deciding that it was in our best interest to not be there. As nice as it was to observe, there were fireworks being thrown within the crowd, which was my sign to go back to the safety of the hostel. I already had a firework burn from Barcelona, and did not want to make firework burns my new souvenir.
The hostel was very happy tonight, yet very exhausted. It seemed everyone there had no more energy after exhausting it earlier in the day continuously. I think I kept to myself, just sat, catching my breath after the long day, before heading to bed to recover.
What can I say - this was definitely the experience of a lifetime. No words that I can try to describe what I was a part of would be enough. I mean, this was as accurate as “in the right place at the right time” could ever get. Have you experienced any situation like that before? How did you feel? What did you observe? Let me know in the comments below but till then, stay positive!
