Argentina President Javier Milei announced he will not attend the World Cup final due to superstition, stating he will also wear the same heavy jacket during the match.

Milei plans to watch the face-off between Spain and Argentina from his home, where he has followed the defending champion’s previous seven games.

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In Latin America, especially in Argentina, the phenomenon known as “cábalas,” or ritualistic beliefs and habits, significantly influence how fans engage with their national team.

On Thursday, when asked if he would travel to New Jersey for Sunday’s match alongside close ally U.S. President Donald Trump and FIFA president Gianni Infantino, as was widely anticipated, Milei firmly stated, “No way.”

“I’m going to keep watching all the games from Olivos,” he told a local Buenos Aires radio station, El Observador, referencing his presidential residence.

When prompted about his decision to stay home for superstitious reasons, Milei affirmed this and elaborated on another of his rituals: “Since it’s cold and I don’t turn on the heat, I wear an oil company-branded jacket. The day of the Switzerland game, it made me really hot. I took it off, and they scored a goal against us. I put it back on and never took it off again.”

Many Argentines share similar cábalas, adhering to strict routines if the team is winning. Some fans wear the same clothes during each match and refuse to wash their jerseys throughout the World Cup. Others maintain their viewing spot or avoid watching during critical moments, such as when Argentina scores.

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Small gestures take on significant meaning during these matches. In a widely circulated video from this World Cup, fans began reading from the Bible just as Argentina scored against Egypt, leading them to repeat this ritual in subsequent matches. A common practice aimed at influencing the rival team includes freezing figurines of players or pieces of paper with opponents’ names.

Historically, Argentine presidents have been wary of attending crucial World Cup matches to prevent bringing bad luck to the team. This practice began during the 1990 tournament when then-President Carlos Menem visited the Argentine squad just before they suffered a surprising loss to Cameroon.

Menem was labeled a “mufa,” or jinx, and since then, no sitting Argentine president has attended a national team match.