Thousands of Argentine supporters transformed downtown Kansas City into a makeshift national enclave on the eve of Argentina’s first match as world champion, against Algeria at 4:00 a.m. Wednesday local time. Blue-and-white banners and giant flags enclosed the park area, where portraits of Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi were displayed side by side, underscoring the team’s unresolved debate over its greatest icon.
The gathering, known in Argentina as a banderazo, drew fans in shirts from 1978, 1986 and 2022, along with drums, songs and dancing that lasted for hours despite the heat. Food and drink stands sprang up around the park, including impromptu vendors selling beer and merchandise, plus Argentine-style grilled meats. One local Argentine, Emiliano from Chicago, sold hot dogs for $10, compared with $3 at a nearby concession.
The celebration spilled into nearby businesses. A Chinese bistro owner, Chang, was forced to hire more kitchen help after running out of egg rolls, while Argentine fans hung flags on the front and back of the restaurant. A large Brazilian steakhouse nearby was left untouched, a pointed snub that the article jokingly framed as a win for China over Brazil, 1-0. A minibus wrapped in images of Argentina’s 2022 World Cup team circled the square with police choosing not to interfere.
Among the fans were four Israelis from Kibbutz Hatzerim, all celebrating their 50th birthdays, and a family from Chubut in southern Argentina that had traveled 33 hours with an 8-year-old boy for their first World Cup. When asked whether Maradona or Messi was greater, the father said, “Both. Don’t make me choose.” A woman in the crowd summed up the mood: “My God, they’re just crazy, but it’s very cute.”
