Hours before the crucial meeting between Argentina and Cape Verde in the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup, a story of almost 400 years comes to light to show that the destinies of both countries crossed long before football existed. The link is, neither more nor less, that the Virgin of Lujánpatron saint of Argentines and the amulet of faith that accompanies Lionel Scaloni’s team in every corner of the United States.
The Scaloneta amulet
For the Argentine team, the Virgin of Luján is not just another image. The tradition – which has been going on for more than 25 years – was born at the hands of the historic prop man Mario Di Stefano, who ensures that the statuette presides over each Albiceleste concentration and locker room.
He was already in Qatar 2022, where after the failed debut against Saudi Arabia he became the center of a mystical ritual with lit candles that lasted until the final, and today he is once again the spiritual beacon of the team in the Miami locker room.
The miracle of the cart and the African guardian
To understand the connection with the round of 16 rival you have to travel to the beginning of the 17th century. An image of the Immaculate Conception was traveling from Brazil to Santiago del Estero, but upon reaching the banks of the Luján River, the cart that was transporting it stopped completely and there was no way to move it. The fact was taken as a divine sign: the Virgin wanted to stay there.
What few remember is who was in charge of taking care of her at that time. The first custodian of the Virgin of Luján was Manuel Costa de los Ríoshistorically known as the «Black Manuel». Manuel was a man born on the northwest coast of Africa, precisely in the region of the Cape Verde Islands.
After being captured and brought as a slave to the Río de la Plata, Negro Manuel dedicated more than 50 years of his life to protecting the image, keeping the sanctuary’s oil lamp alive and receiving the first pilgrims in our history. His dedication was such that today there is an official process for his beatification.
A game with mystique
This Friday, while the players take the field looking for a place in the quarterfinals of the World Cup, the figure of the Virgin will rest in the Argentine locker room. A Virgin whose history and devotion on Argentine soil began thanks to the care and loyalty of a man who was born, precisely, in the land of the current rival.
