The ground shook Sunday afternoon as hundreds of Argentine fans jumped and chanted in anticipation of their national team’s first North Texas game in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Gustavo Giampaolo traveled from Patagonia, a region in the southern tip of South America, to watch Argentina play. This is his second World Cup, he said, though this time he didn’t come alone. His 13-year-old son, Santiago, traveled with him.
“This is my first World Cup,” Santiago said. “It’s an unforgettable experience.”
Another fan, Andrés Mendoza, traveled from Buenos Aires last week to watch the two North Texas matches the team has in June.
Argentina will face Austria on Monday, June 22, at 12 p.m. and Jordan on Saturday, June 27, at 9 p.m. at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, renamed Dallas Stadium for the tournament. About 100,000 Argentina soccer fans are expected to travel to North Texas.
“I started saving money three years ago so I could come here and fulfill [this] dream,” Mendoza said.
Fans began arriving at Klyde Warren Park near downtown Dallas early Sunday morning with temperatures set to reach the low 90s in the afternoon. Shortly after 4 p.m., the park was completely full of people wearing light blue and white jerseys — the Argentine colors — as Dallas police began closing nearby streets to vehicular traffic.
Mendoza said he has fond memories of living in North Carolina with his family when he was a child, making it more meaningful for him to come watch the World Cup in the U.S.
The crowd expressed support for their team with drums, chants and flags bearing the faces of prominent Argentina players Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona. “Go for it, champ! Go for it, champ!” they yelled.
Known in Argentina as banderazos, these fan gatherings bring supporters together to show their passion through chants, flags, drums, cymbals, horns, dancing, and jumping. They typically take place before matches. In Dallas, the rallies are scheduled for the day before each Argentina game in Arlington.
Klyde Warren Park holds special significance for Argentine fans in the area. On Dec. 18, 2022, hundreds of North Texas Argentines gathered there after Argentina won its third World Cup title by defeating France in the Qatar World Cup final.
Two of the largest Argentina supporter groups, Hinchas Argentinos and La Banda de Argentina — known during Qatar 2022 as La Barra de Barwargento — selected the event’s location.
On Friday, June 26, at 6 p.m., fans will gather again at the same location with the same goal: supporting their national team.