Argentina's president won't go to the World Cup final for a strange reason

Argentina is on the verge of making history by winning its second consecutive World Cup. Lionel Messi is heading to another final after writing an incredible comeback story. However, President Javier Miele was not seen on the field in any of Argentina's matches in the tournament. He even decided not to go to the field to watch the final. There are several 'superstitions' behind this. 

Argentina and Spain will face off in the World Cup title decider at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Sunday at 1am Bangladesh time. But the Albiceleste president has decided to watch his country's match from his own home. He has also watched Messi's last seven matches in the current season from his own home. Javier Milley does not want to break his 'lucky tip' under any circumstances.

Football fans and players around the world tend to follow various superstitions or rituals that bring good luck. However, in Latin America, especially in Argentina, these rituals or beliefs, known as 'Kabbalah', are much more important. They are seen as a reflection of people's passion for and intense following of the national team.

Yesterday (Thursday), Argentine President Milley was asked if he would watch the final in New Jersey with US President Donald Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino. Milley replied, "No way." "I will watch the game from Olivos (the president's official residence), like every other match," he told local radio station El Observador in Buenos Aires.

When asked if he stays at home because of a certain superstition, he replied, "It's cold now, but I don't turn on the heater. So I wear a jacket with an oil company logo. On the day of the match against Switzerland, I felt very hot wearing the jacket. As soon as I took it off, they scored against us. Then I put the jacket back on and never took it off again."

According to ESPN, many Argentines, like Milley, believe that if their team is to win, they must follow the same routine. Some wear the same clothes for every match, some even avoid washing their jerseys throughout the World Cup. Some watch every match from the same spot. Others believe that if they are in the bathroom when Argentina scores, they should not watch the next matches either.

Even the smallest act holds special significance for them. A video that went viral during the current World Cup showed a group of fans reading the Bible just as Argentina started scoring against Egypt. They have repeated the ritual in every match since then. Another popular belief to influence the opposition is to put a picture of a player from that team or a piece of paper with their name on it on the fridge. As seen in the photo of Harry Kane frozen before the England match in the semi-finals.

There is a long-standing tradition among Argentine presidents of not attending important World Cup matches, lest they bring bad luck to the team. This belief dates back to the 1990 World Cup, when then-President Carlos Menem met with the Argentine team before the opening match. Argentina then suffered an unexpected defeat to Cameroon. Since then, Menem has been called a "mufa" or bad omen. No Argentine president in office has attended a World Cup match since then.