The Hyatt hotel in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat became the epicentre of the Argentine community exiled in Barcelona to follow the World Cup final. Empanadas, chants, and a festive atmosphere marked an unforgettable evening.
The Hyatt hotel in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat transformed into an improvised embassy of Argentina during the World Cup final. The function room, carpeted and bland on any other day, woke up dressed in sky blue and white: a stand of empanadas, banners of Maradona, and over a hundred souls ready to lose their voices. There, football is not just watched: it is lived to the rhythm of cumbia, as if each ball carried with it a promise of redemption.
A miniature country in the heart of Barcelonès
Almost all the shirts bore the 10 of Messi, and tattooed skin displayed some nod to Diego. The percussion and the 'lololos' were relentless. It was impossible to hear one's own voice or decipher the lyrics of the chants, which sounded too festive for a final to more than one Barcelona fan. But the tension was sublimated against England, as explained by Alicia and Rosana, two Argentinians from Mar del Plata and Buenos Aires who have been in Spain for over 15 years. "Win or lose, afterwards we go to Arco to celebrate," they said, grateful for the warm welcome.
Interestingly, not everyone present was Argentine. A group of young Catalans, dressed in the Catalan national team's shirts or the Barça's four bars, had decided to join the gathering to feel at home. An unbeatable metaphor for the country that must be prepared for those who ask to separate football from politics.
The first shout: Messi, and the whistle at Trump
The first frenzy erupted when the name of Lionel Messi was announced over the loudspeaker. The first whistle of widespread censure was directed at a close-up of Donald Trump whispering with Gianni Infantino. From then on, things got serious. Every approach by the Spanish team shrank the spirits, but the void was filled with excitement over any foul. And, above all, singing The Fourth Star: "For Malvinas, for Diego, for Leo's last one, Argentina I want to see you as champions again."
The first half ended with objective Spanish dominance on the pitch, but unable to penetrate the subjective bubble of the Argentine fans. The musical performances during the break —Justin Bieber, Shakira— were swept away by a version of Surviving, an anthem that, for the same price, moved hips and launched anti-colonial proclamations. The Catalans present exchanged glances and shared a stifled sigh of national envy.
Final nerves and the union of two shores
The second half was a torment of emotions. Every rival attack provoked tense silence, every Argentine counter-attack an explosion of hope. The Hyatt in L'Hospitalet became a thermometer for the Argentine community in the province of Barcelona: all provinces, all ages, all professions were represented there. Football once again proved to be the universal language that erases borders and times of absence.
For the neighbour from L'Hospitalet, seeing that sky blue and white tide in a hotel in the municipality was a reminder that the city is a melting pot of cultures. The Argentine community, one of the largest in the region, found in that space a refuge to share nostalgia and passion. And as an improvised banner said: "Where there is an Argentine, there is a pitch."
The evening ended with hugs, tears, and the promise to repeat it at the next World Cup. The hotel regained its silence, but the echo of a country that, although distant, always finds a way to be close lingered in the air.
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