New York (AFP) – Victorious Spanish fans and mournful Argentinians brought the World Cup carnival back to the heart of New York for their blockbuster clash Sunday, reigniting fervor that had dipped with the US exit. At a watch party in Central Park, Eric Centeno, 42, told AFP, “we’ve been enjoying the tournament — and Spain won!”
Argentine dentist Florencia Luzinin, 30, said, “we came across a few Spaniards but I don’t look at them.” She was among thousands of blue and white-striped Argentina fans who flocked to the tourist hubs of Manhattan ahead of the final being held over the Hudson River in New Jersey. Local enthusiasm for the tournament had fallen away after co-hosts the United States were knocked out by Belgium on July 6, but tickets for the final still became the costliest in US sporting history.
Extreme weather in the days before the final, including ferocious storms, plus flooding and smoke from Canadian forest fires, distracted many in the Big Apple. Nonetheless, Argentine fans turned out in force, with many gathering in the city’s Times Square. Penn Station was a sea of Argentine jerseys, most emblazoned with Lionel Messi’s name, and two dogs were dressed up in the iconic blue and white strip.
Spain fans swarmed around Madison Square Garden, with one clutching a replica trophy. Spain supporter Alessandra Pichler, 27, said, “the US has done a great job hosting all the games I’ve been to. I’ve been very impressed.” Excitement for the global soccer spectacle has progressively waned as countries with large diasporas in the city — like Mexico and Egypt — have been ejected.
“It’s been slightly overshadowed. I think there was fatigue after all the games of the group stage and then the US getting eliminated. Spain and Argentina are also relatively small immigrant populations in the city,” said Howie Ray, 42, who cheered for England after the US ejection. “You also have the regular folks leave for the weekend during the summer.”
– ‘Unaffordable’ –
Fans were also turned off by sky-high prices for the final, as the average ticket price hit $11,327, according to TickPick. “A lot of my friends have felt disconnected the entire tournament due to the tickets being unaffordable,” added Ray. Fans in New York unable to secure — or afford — a ticket to the final flocked to quirky watch parties. Global Citizen staged an all-star show in Central Park coinciding with the fixture.
The American Museum of Natural History gave fans the chance to rub shoulders with dinosaurs while watching Messi, 39, fail to steer Argentina to its fourth World Cup. Despite some tepid reactions on the streets away from Midtown Manhattan, something of a World Cup effect has been witnessed at non-World Cup matches. Women’s team Gotham FC this week recorded the biggest turnout for a women’s sporting event in New York history, city comptroller Mark Levine said.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani made headlines when he watched England succumb to Argentina with inmates at the city’s notorious Rikers Island jail. “We said from the beginning that the World Cup belongs to New Yorkers. This summer, we proved it,” Mamdani said ahead of the final.
© 2024 AFP
