FIFA World Cup: Argentina fans turn to superstition ahead of England game

BUENOS AIRES, July 14 (Reuters) - Argentina fans are leaving little to chance ahead of the World Cup semi-final against England, placing captain Harry Kane's name in the freezer and faithfully repeating the rituals they believe bring the national team luck on the pitch.

The practices are part of Argentina's long tradition of 'cabalas' — superstitions fans believe can influence the team's fortunes.

As defending champions Argentina prepare to face England for a place in the final, supporters are clinging to routines they say helped deliver past victories.

Many refuse to say opponents' names, wear the same often-unwashed jerseys, sit in the same seats and eat the same meals before each match, convinced that changing anything could jinx the team's chances of lifting another trophy.

"My friends and I have a ritual," said 13-year-old Ines Mutri. "We write the name of the star player and goalkeeper on the same piece of paper and freeze it in the freezer," she said. 

"This time we're going to freeze Kane because he's the top scorer," she added.

In a country where soccer inspires a near-religious devotion, such rituals, fans say, offer a sense of control over a result that ultimately remains beyond their influence.

The tradition runs deep. Carlos Bilardo, the coach who led Argentina to the 1986 World Cup title, became famous for elaborate superstitions like dictating the order in which they stepped onto the pitch, helping cement 'cabalas' in Argentine soccer folklore.

Even current coach Lionel Scaloni has acknowledged his own ritual. "I step onto the field with my right foot and make the sign of the cross," he said during the tournament.

Some customs evolve with the times. During this year's World Cup, fans have shared AI-generated images on social media showing rival players frozen in blocks of ice, a symbolic way of preventing dangerous opponents from moving, scoring or making saves.

The idea has spilled into real life. Student Juan Pablo Calvo, 18, said he plans to freeze Jude Bellingham's name because he considers him "a tremendous player," though he remains confident in Argentina.

The match renews one of international soccer's most storied rivalries, from Diego Maradona's "Hand of God" goal in 1986 to a series of memorable knockout encounters.

For the semi-final, Calvo is wearing a shirt like the one Maradona wore at the 1986 World Cup, when Argentina lifted the trophy.

"Even though Messi has already won every trophy there is to win, this is a special opportunity because he's never faced England in a match like this, let alone in a semi-final," Calvo said. 

Other fans say repetition is the most important 'cabala'. Once Argentina win, every detail of the day must be recreated for the next match: the same people, the same seat, the same shirt and, if possible, the same meal.

Mutri is watching with eight friends who wear the same hats and sit in the same places every game.

"I feel that the match against England is going to be a nerve-racking one, like all the others," she said. "But it's going to be good. It's going to be fun."