With the FIFA World Cup being just four years away from its centenary, it’s logical that most people have only seen a handful of tournaments, or maybe even the last ten. One Argentine sports journalist, however, has reported on all but four: Enrique Macaya Márquez.
Born in Buenos Aires on November 20, 1934, Macaya, as his name is affectionately shortened, first started working in journalism at 15 for the historic Argentine radio outlet Rivadavia.
At just 23, he was chosen to travel to Sweden, where the 1958 World Cup was taking place, reporting for Radio Belgrano. It was the start of a never-ending love affair with the tournament, never missing a single one after that.
In 2022, while Macaya was reporting on the Qatar World Cup at age 88, the International Sports Press Association (AIPS) and FIFA honored him for setting a world record as the journalist who had covered the most World Cups, 17.
He’s not stopping yet. Last week, the South American football governing body CONMEBOL posted a tribute on its Instagram, acknowledging Macaya as he began coverage of his 18th World Cup.
