Why many Black Americans were rooting for Argentina to lose the World Cup | Etan Thomas

Many Black Americans were not simply picking a side in the World Cup final between Spain and Argentina. According to a commentary by Etan Thomas in The Guardian Football, some were reacting to broader questions about racism, politics and public silence — and, in particular, to what those silences can communicate.

Thomas wrote that major sporting events can become moments when viewers are no longer focused only on the score. Instead, they are also watching which values are being displayed, which voices are being heard and which issues are being ignored. In that frame, the Spain-Argentina matchup was not treated as a neutral contest between two football powers. It was seen by some as part of a wider moral and historical conversation.

The article said Spain and Argentina both carry complicated national histories shaped by colonization and oppression, and that those histories should not be overlooked simply because of on-field success. Thomas suggested that for some Black Americans, support for Argentina’s defeat was tied less to footballing preference than to a rejection of racism and political silence connected to the country’s image.

The piece also pointed to the idea that fans are increasingly judging nations and teams not only by their performance, but by how they respond to social issues. In that sense, the final became a reflection of attitudes well beyond the stadium.

This report is based on a monitored public feed. Source attribution: The Guardian Football. Source: The Guardian Football - https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/jul/22/argentina-black-americans-spain-world-cup-messi-silence