New York City witnessed an exceptional atmosphere of excitement before the 2026 World Cup final, as huge numbers of Argentine fans poured in to support their team in the anticipated match against Spain, according to the newspaper 'Marca'.

With streets adorned in blue and white, and a frantic race for flights and transportation, the city feels more like Buenos Aires, reflecting the massive fan impact of the 'Tango' team and Lionel Messi.

New York is expected to see a heavy Argentine fan presence during the final match, meaning the Spanish team will be a minority in the stands of MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, as well as on the streets of the 'Big Apple', which are already filling with fans coming to support their country's team.

According to Argentine media estimates, about 50,000 fans will wear the Argentine national team jersey on match day, whether they have tickets to the final or not, although it is naturally impossible for all that number to enter the stadium. The resale ticket market has also seen a huge surge in prices due to increasing demand to attend the match.

The fan presence is not limited to Argentines living in the United States or those coming from their home country; a large number of fans of different nationalities have joined the wave of support for the Argentine team, driven by the so-called 'Messi effect', which has allowed Argentine fans to dominate the various stadiums that hosted World Cup matches.

Indications of this fan surge appeared since the end of the semi-final match against England, as all rental cars between Atlanta, which hosted the match, and New York, about a thousand kilometers away, were sold out, as fans preferred it as the least expensive and most convenient way to reach the final venue.

In the same context, the Buenos Aires-based newspaper 'El Economista' reported that fans rushed to book all seats on Argentine airline flights to the United States, whether to New York or Miami, as soon as the team qualified for the final at the expense of England.

Additionally, Argentine Airlines scheduled two extra flights to New York on Wednesday evening to meet the increasing demand, with ticket prices reaching about $5,000 for economy class and $10,000 for business class, further evidence of the unprecedented enthusiasm ahead of the World Cup final.