The World Cup final has arrived, and fans of Argentina and Spain are ready for one of their teams to be crowned as winners.
Hours before the tournament’s biggest matchup, soccer fans took over New York streets.
Argentina fans were seen celebrating in the middle of Times Square on Saturday night and resumed their activities Sunday morning.
Fans lighted fireworks, waved the Argentinian flag, chanted, sang and created a fun, positive experience for everyone attending Saturday night.
On Sunday morning, the festivities didn’t stop. Die-hard fans were banging drums and singing while passing around a giant inflatable soccer ball.
Spain fans were also having a party Sunday morning as they were also making their presence known across New York by gathering into a large group, banging drums and playing horn instruments. Fans were jumping and singing along to the beat of the music.
Throughout the World Cup, these large fan gatherings have been a constant among the fan bases and have taken place in multiple cities across North America.
California had its fair share of celebrations, most notably with Bosnia fans taking over the streets of Inglewood, as well as Korea and Mexico fans having large gatherings in multiple cities across Southern California.
Argentina is the reigning World Cup champion and is looking to become the first team to win the tournament in back-to-back appearances since Brazil did it in 1958 and 1962.
Spain is looking to bring home the World Cup and win it for the first time since 2010. Head coach Luis de la Fuente is headed to his first World Cup final since taking over as head coach in December 2022.
In 2023, he led Spain to a UEFA Nations League title, and in 2024, he led the squad to a UEFA Euro Trophy.
Sunday’s matchup also could be a passing of the torch. Argentina’s Lionel Messi, 39, might play in his final World Cup match and will face off against young soccer phenom Lamine Yamal. At 19 years old, he is one of the sport’s brightest stars.
With the two set to face off, it has created the perfect glimpse of soccer’s present and future.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
