The Guardian's rugby correspondent recounts witnessing Argentina's 2-1 semi-final win over England from Buenos Aires, describing the extraordinary scenes of national celebration as fans took to the streets to mark their team reaching another World Cup final. The piece contrasts the good-natured reception given to English visitors with the sheer scale and intensity of Argentine football fervour, noting that beating England carries particular significance given the countries' historical rivalry.

The article describes a brief, tense silence in the city when Anthony Gordon put England 1-0 up, before Argentina turned the game around, sparking city-wide celebrations including honking trains, dancing crowds and flag-waving from balconies. It draws comparisons to the 2022 World Cup win, when around four million people flooded Buenos Aires's streets and a planned open-top bus parade had to be scrapped in favour of helicopters, with locals suggesting those celebrations had never really stopped. The author anticipates even wilder scenes ahead of Argentina's final on Sunday.