Thought Only Mr. Old Man Was Superstitious… Turns Out Argentina Is Even More So!

Before the blockbuster clash with England, Argentina reportedly asked FIFA for permission to wear their dark blue away kit instead of the traditional sky-blue-and-white stripes originally scheduled for the match.

And FIFA said yes.

That little “good luck charm” probably wasn’t a coincidence.

It brought back memories of the 1986 World Cup quarter-final—also against England. On that famous day, Argentina wore blue. Maradona scored two of the most iconic goals in football history: first, the infamous “Hand of God”, then a breathtaking solo run past almost the entire England team before beating Peter Shilton. Argentina won 2-1 and went on to lift the World Cup.

This morning, history seemed determined to repeat itself.

England looked destined for victory after Gordon opened the scoring. But in the 85th minute, Enzo Fernández unleashed a thunderbolt from a Messi assist to make it 1-1. Five minutes later, Messi provided another perfect cross, and Lautaro Martínez headed home the winner.

Argentina were outstanding.

But who knows… maybe that dark blue shirt brought a little bit of magic once again—just like it did 40 years ago.

And England?

Sixty years after their only World Cup triumph in 1966, they’ll have to wait at least another four years. Whether they’ll finally get their hands on the trophy then… only time will tell.

As for Messi, he added two more assists, giving him four for the tournament—one more than Mbappé—while both remain tied on eight goals in the Golden Boot race.

Even if Argentina fail to lift the trophy, Messi would still be one of the strongest contenders for the tournament’s Best Player award.

Now comes the final against Spain…

Mr. Old Man is willing to bet Argentina will ask to wear that “lucky” blue shirt again!

He he… I thought Mr. Old Man was the superstitious one.

Turns out Argentina have a superstition with a long tradition.

And judging by the results… it seems to work!

Oh, and before I forget…

The final will feature one of football’s most remarkable full-circle moments: Messi facing Lamine Yamal—the little boy whom Messi once held and bathed during a UNICEF charity photoshoot nearly two decades ago.

Football really does write stories that even novelists would struggle to imagine.

Mr. Old Man