Local Couple Join In Celebrations In Argentina

[Written by Stephen Wright]

A local couple enjoyed an “early Christmas present” as they joined millions of revellers in Buenos Aires to celebrate Argentina’s World Cup triumph.

When Bermudian Mark Wheddon and his wife, Silvia Lozada — who is from Argentina — decided to visit Buenos Aires for the festive season, little did they know their vacation would coincide with Argentina’s extraordinary win over France in the World Cup final in Qatar.

Lionel Messi secured his iconic status among his countrymen after leading Argentina to glory, beating the defending champions 4-2 on penalties after a pulsating 3-3 draw on Sunday.

The couple, who have been married for five years, watched the epic World Cup final, arguably the greatest in history, at Silvia’s parents’ home in Castelar, about 30 kilometres west of the nation’s capital.

“There was a lot of agony in that game,” said Mark, who runs a charter boat company, Island Time Bermuda.

“The mood was so joyful for the first 80 minutes. When France tied the game, I thought everyone was going to die!

“The streets where my wife lives are usually busy, but during the final, I got a photograph of myself lying in the middle of the road at half-time. There were no cars whatsoever.

“It was dead quiet until an Argentina goal, and then there would be an eruption of joy and fireworks.”

After joining family and friends to celebrate Argentina’s third World Cup victory and the first since Diego Maradona lifted the trophy in 1986, Mark and Silvia headed to the capital to soak up the atmosphere.

“We caught the train, and everyone was singing, dancing and jumping. It was so much fun,” said Mark, who supports England. “Everyone was so happy.

“The streets were lined with people. They even had to stop the traffic. The streets were overflowing with people.

“They were singing a song that goes, ‘If you’re not jumping, you’re English’. It’s an old song. Everyone seems to love it!”

Mark and Silvia also took part in the main celebrations in Buenos Aires on Tuesday, described as the biggest party in Argentina’s history, which attracted an estimated five million people.

With so many people crowded around the Obelisk monument in the capital, Messi and his teammates abandoned the open-top bus parade and were whisked away in helicopters to complete their celebrations.

Silvia, an accountant, believes the celebrations were even grander than when Maradona inspired Argentina to a 3-2 win over West Germany in 1986.

“Winning the World Cup has been a special Christmas gift for everyone,” said Silvia, who lives in Southampton with Mark.

“I was six when Argentina won the World Cup in 1986. We had an unforgettable celebration. It was a special memory for me.

“I told Mark, ‘You will see what I saw in 1986’. This time it felt even bigger!”

Silvia admits Argentina has not always known how to feel about Messi, who enjoyed incredible success with Barcelona, his previous club, but struggled to emerge from Maradona’s shadow with the national team.

However, she now believes Messi’s legacy is complete and the love Argentinians have for the clean-living Paris-Saint Germain forward is equal to the flawed rebel Maradona.

“Many people have changed their minds about Messi,” she said. “Many journalists criticised him in the past, so they have had to apologise [after the World Cup].

“This was a big moment for Messi to demonstrate that he is really Argentinian [Messi moved to Barcelona aged 13], and people appreciated that.

“People like Messi’s values. Maradona was a great player, but his personal life wasn’t a great example. In that aspect, Messi’s done more than Maradona. He’s a good role model.”

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