“Muchachos”: Argentina fans’ World Cup anthem
“Muchachos” has become a hugely popular unofficial anthem of Argentine fans at the World Cup. The song was written by a fan and includes references to soccer greats Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi. It also mentions rival Brazil and the soldiers who fought in the Falklands war. Argentina lost a brief but bloody war with Britain after Argentine troops invaded the South Atlantic archipelago in 1982. Argentina fan Fernando Romero wrote the song. He says “I felt that Diego was with us and I liked the idea of including him in a song that we could sing with the people.” Argentina will face France on Sunday in the World Cup final.
AP
Soccer star Lionel Messi’s World Cup shirts could soon be owned by some lucky collector.
Sotheby’s, which was founded in London in 1744, will put up for sale six shirts worn by Messi during the Argentinian captain’s winning run at last year’s men’s World Cup in Qatar, the auction house announced Monday.
A portion of the proceeds from the auction — which could become the most valuable collection of sports memorabilia ever sold at potentially more than $10 million — will be donated to the UNICAS Project, led by Sant Joan de Déu Barcelona Children’s Hospital with the support of the Leo Messi Foundation, to meet the needs of children suffering from rare diseases.
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“The 2022 FIFA World Cup stands as one of the greatest events in sports history, intrinsically connected to Messi’s valiant journey and firmly establishing his status as the greatest player of all time,” said Brahm Wachter, Sotheby’s Head Of Modern Collectibles. “The sale of these six shirts stands as a monumental occasion in auction history, offering fans and collectors a connection to Messi’s crowning achievement.”
The auction in New York will offer six of the seven first-half jerseys, including the one Messi wore in the dramatic final game against France, which ended in a penalty shootout after a 3-3 draw. The win at Lusail Stadium secured Argentina its third World Cup with Messi scoring two of the country’s goals.
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Messi, 36, currently plays for Inter Miami in the MLS after spending the majority of his career at Barcelona.
The auction will be held between Nov. 30 and Dec. 14. A free exhibition at the company’s New York headquarters will allow the public to see the shirts during the bidding dates.
According to Sotheby’s, the current record for a game-worn item of sports memorabilia is Michael Jordan’s 1998 NBA Finals jersey, which sold for $10.1 million at Sotheby’s New York in September 2022.
The current record for a game-worn item of soccer sports memorabilia is Diego Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ shirt, which sold for $9.3 million at Sotheby’s London in May 2022.
Contributing: Associated Press
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