Brazil’s elimination was celebrated in Buenos Aires and also in Qatar, in the preview of the match of the national team

Argentina and Brazil, Brazil and Argentina. The football rivalry of a lifetime manifested itself again one December afternoon, from the Middle East and in the midst of a World Cup. This time, the outbreak was caused by Neymar’s side being eliminated on penalties against Croatia, minutes before Messi’s men took to the field against the Netherlands. The possibility of having a classic in the semifinals was interrupted and the joy was no longer “Brazilian” but settled in Buenos Aires but also in Lusail.

It was a strange Friday, a bridge holiday and with impossibly hot weather in the Argentine capital. And the tension of the match that was approaching the Albiceleste was tempered by Brazil’s vibrant draw against Croatia, with two goals in extra time and a penalty in which (as always) there was a hero, the goalkeeper Livakovic.

It was Marquinhos, the PSG captain, who fired the last shot from eleven steps into the post, sealing Canarinha’s chance to add another star to their record. The Penta will continue to be so for at least another four years. Whoever sang “Messi bye” salutes Doha.

Horns began to rumble in the streets of Buenos Aires, for example in the 9 de Julio area, from cars hurrying their march to get to a TV to see Argentina. Here there is no Great Homeland or South American commitment against the Europeans, only one mantra dominates: “If we don’t win it, may they not win it”. Around the Obelisk it is hotter than in Copacabana, but there are exchanges of laughter, some shouting, memes arriving on WhatsApp. Argentina enjoys it, at least for a while.

Something similar happened in Qatar. The Lusail stadium exploded after the penalties, which thanks to the extraordinary connectivity were followed by the fans through their mobile phones. The reaction videos started going viral. Another eloquent image: on TV they showed images of the dressing room when Petkovic scored the 1-1 in the 60th minute. “Croatia’s goal,” Di María seemed to be saying to Messi.

Even the press room where the international media waited for the match to start experienced “their match”, with reporters going back and forth from monitor to monitor to see what was happening. More respectfully, waiting for a positive result, it was celebrated in moderation. Football code, the celebration of other people’s misfortune can be an orange boomerang with Van Gaal’s face.

The World Cup is like that and it’s full of these stories, many between Argentina and Brazil, though never in December and never in this impossible heat. It served to calm the nerves. Then he had to suffer.