This story comes to us from Feet in 2 Worlds, an independent media outlet and journalism training program that empowers the voices of immigrant journalists. It has been slightly edited to adjust to the Buenos Aires Herald guidelines. All images by Vera Carothers / Feet in 2 Worlds.

On a recent Friday night, hundreds of Argentina fans packed an Irish bar in Midtown Manhattan. They wore matching Messi jerseys, palmed Fernet-and-Cokes, and roared football chants in a single voice. Argentinos en NY (Argentines in New York), a group with tens of thousands of social media followers, organized this World Cup watch party.

People came from New Jersey, Long Island, all five boroughs, and beyond. An agonizing hour into the game, Argentina and Cape Verde were tied 1-1. Cape Verde seemed poised to win an incredible victory, while Argentina, the Cup’s defending champion, faced the humiliation of premature elimination. Palpable anguish gripped the room. People bit their nails, faces gone ashen, wincing as if in physical pain.

At the center of the bar’s front room stood Krystal Garabedian and her mother, Sarita Garabedian, yelling “No!” in unison whenever the ball strayed into Argentina’s defensive third. They batted their matching manicures, colored white and celeste with the number “10” painted on their index fingers, at the TV, as if to dispel the opponent from the Argentine side. Huge football earrings swayed below their ears.

As 39-year-old Lionel Messi attempted shot after shot, Krystal yelled, “¡Dale!,” while Sarita, taking a gentler tone, implored the GOAT, “Go on, papá, do it for your abuela.” Messi is known for dedicating goals to his deceased grandmother, who encouraged him to play as a child, by pointing to the sky. As the end of the game approached and the teams were still tied, the referees announced 30 minutes of overtime. 

“This is going to give me a heart attack,” Krystal said.

Collective joy at a difficult time

The 2026 World Cup is unfolding during a moment of compounding pressures for Argentine immigrants in New York City: economic crisis under a far-right government at home, fears of a looming recession in the U.S., and an immigration crackdown that has made even watch parties feel risky. 

At the same time, ticket prices have risen to historically exorbitant sums. As Lucas Quiñonez, a volunteer with Argentinos en NY, put it, fans are feeling the squeeze on both ends: “People can’t afford tickets to the games, so they turn to watch parties instead, but some can’t even go to a watch party because they’re scared.” 

Argentina fans celebrate in the street outside The Joyce Public House in Midtown. Even as some people rightfully criticize FIFA’s moral corruption and........

© Buenos Aires Herald