Argentina fans take over Kansas City park before World Cup game in ‘magic’ rally
Near Kansas City’s Country Club Plaza, Argentina fans filled the Mill Creek Park with chants and asado the night before the defending champions’ opening match against Algeria in the FIFA World Cup.
Argentina fans described the atmosphere at the pre-World Cup fan rally as “magic” and “like Argentina.”
In the center of the banderazo was a throng of blue and white singing along to the band and waving banners of the Argentina’s soccer legends.
Looking in on the throng was Angel Berrado, shaded by a camper covered in Argentina banners.
While the 76-year-old Argentine said he felt right at home.
“It feels like we’re in Argentina,” Berrado said in Spanish. “It feels like something special.”
This marks his fourth World Cup. He’s seen three Argentina greats — Mario Kempe, Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi in the World Cup — and now Messi again.
“It’s a sport that you carry inside of your body.”
Farther south in the park, kids played soccer while a man from New Jersey cooked picaña steak on a charcoal grill.
Argentine interviewer Tomi Munaretto drew a crowd of fans trying to answer his trivia questions.
On the streetcar to the event, fans banged on the ceiling and cheered when another blue and white jersey squeezed onto the vehicle.
As the Kansas City Fire Department honked driving by on Mill Creek Road, thousands of Argentine fans responded by cheering and shaking their right hands in the air.
On the treeline, fans strung together banners, called trapos, emblazoned with the city or province from which they came.
While waiting for choripan, Diego Silva showed off his trapo, which many groups tied together in rows in Mill Creek Park. Silva’s features the name of his city, Oberá, along with a Messi quote and photos of Messi and Maradona.
On a bench near the Mill Creek Park fountain, Karina Stickar and Natael Vera sipped on a cup of yerba mate.
The couple of 2 1/2 years travelled from Argentina’s Neuquén province, in the Patagonias. Stickar appreciated the warm Kansas City weather, which is a break from the Southern hemisphere winter.
Kansas City is the start of a World Cup tour, as the pair are next going to the two games in Dallas along with visiting New York and Miami.
As for the cost of the tickets, Stickar said she is not thinking about the money.
You “only pay one time,” Stickar said.
While Stickar is not a soccer fan, she said the opportunity to go on the trip is “ like a dream.”
While Jorge Martinez is not Argentine, he donned a Charlie Hustle heart KC shirt with the Argentina flag.
The Kansas City, Kansas, resident wanted to be part of the World Cup energy.
“I love soccer, so just having people from wherever they are, it’s the neatest thing that I’ve ever lived.”
Martinez said he had to choose between seeing Messi at Arrowhead or going to two matches, the banderazo was making him second-guess his choice.
“The atmosphere, it’s pretty much magic,” Martinez said.
This story was originally published June 15, 2026 at 10:35 PM.
