DOHA, Qatar (AP) — “Muchachos” has become a popular unofficial anthem among Argentine fans at the World Cup.
The song, which was written by a fan, includes references to soccer greats Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi. It also hits rival Brazil and pays tribute to the Argentine 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.
“Guys, now we are excited again, I want to win the third, I want to be world champion”, says the chorus of the song that Messi and his teammates sing on the field to celebrate each victory. .
The anthem is also sung in the stands and on the streets of Doha, as well as by millions of loyal fans in South America.
“When we sleep, when we are awake, when we eat, when we make love, we listen to this song,” said Florencia Moncalvillo, a 34-year-old fan walking the labyrinthine alleys of the Souq Waqif bazaar wearing Argentina’s light blue and white striped T-shirt.
The bazaar has become a hub for thousands of flag-waving Argentine fans.
Known for their creativity in coming up with songs to cheer on their teams, the authors are often anonymous. But not in this case.
Fernando Romero, a fan of the Racing Club of Argentina, adapted an old song by the pop band La Mosca to support the national team. Romero said the song came to him after Maradona’s death and Argentina’s Copa América win against Brazil at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro.
“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,” Romero said. “That’s where I started and wrote it.”
Argentina mourned the captain of the 1986 World Cup-winning team when he passed away in November 2020 at the age of 60. In July 2021, the team led by Lionel Scaloni and led by Messi won the Copa América for Argentina’s first title in 28 years. .
In one of the most original parts of the song, Romero wrote that “from heaven we can see Diego, along with Don Diego and La Tota (Maradona’s parents), cheering on Lionel, and become champions again…”.
The song has become so popular that it has been sung by Messi, who said in an interview that it was his fans’ favorite song.
“I was born in Argentina, the land of Diego and Lionel, of the boys from Malvinas (Falklands) that I will never forget,” says another part of the song that pays tribute to those who fell in the war against Great Britain.
“We are a country used to suffering, but when we suffer we bring out the best in us,” said fan Alejandro Rubio, 54. “So, in this World Cup, after a long time, we are going to do our best. It’s going to be a great World Cup”.
The song also references the wounded sporting pride of losing several finals with Messi as captain and the desire for redemption in Qatar, which could be possible on Sunday if Argentina beat defending champions France in the final at the Lusail Stadium.
If Messi finally wins the trophy, the “Boys” will no longer have a reason to exist. Romero says it’s worth it.
“If we win on Sunday and the song is never sung again after that… I have no problem,” he said. “The important thing is to win on Sunday, and I live it like any Argentine, with a lot of anxiety, a lot of enthusiasm and a lot of confidence in this group of players who we know will give everything to leave the flag at the top.”
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