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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Sport
Etan Thomas

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

Argentina’s Lionel Messi looks on after Sunday’s World Cup final.
Argentina’s Lionel Messi looks on after Sunday’s World Cup final. Photograph: Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images

There are moments in sports when you realize people aren’t just watching the score any more. They’re watching values. They’re watching who speaks. They’re watching who stays silent. And they’re watching what those silences say.

I found myself thinking about that throughout this World Cup. On paper, Sunday’s final looked simple. Spain v Argentina. Two footballing giants and countries with glorious soccer histories. Two nations whose pasts are also stained by colonization, oppression and chapters of history that shouldn’t be whitewashed simply because someone can score a goal.

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