NEW YORK: For some fans following this World Cup, the calculation has been simple: support whoever is playing against Argentina.
Across the tournament, that has meant wearing the green of Algeria, the blue of Cape Verde, or the red of Switzerland.
Even the often maligned England got a boost in global social media pledges of support last week ahead of their semifinal clash. And in Sunday’s final, it may mean pulling on a red Spain shirt.
Argentina are one of football’s most successful and recognizable national teams, but also one of its most polarizing. From Diego Maradona’s defiance to Lionel Messi’s global celebrity, the Albiceleste have long inspired devotion at home and abroad, alongside irritation, envy and resentment from rivals.
Argentina’s football identity has been shaped by extraordinary individual players of global fame. Maradona provided Argentina with its most defiant sporting myth, leading the country to the 1986 World Cup title.
