The Argentines were out in force, celebrating a hard-fought victory over Switzerland on Sunday night that guaranteed a semi-final with England.
The crowd in the city of Escobar, on the fringes of Buenos Aires’s urban sprawl, were jubilant, delirious even.
And then from nowhere, one man, among the many thousands who had gathered on the streets, pulled out a sizeable plastic Union Flag.
What followed was a frenzy to get it lit.
Two fans pulled out lighters and within seconds the flag was ablaze to a cacophony of honking horns and banging drums.
Then the fans began singing what has become a familiar chant: “And now you see, and now you see, whoever doesn’t jump is English.” At which point the supporters, as the Union Flag burned to nothing, leapt in the air.
Nobody in Escobar right at that moment wanted to be accused of being English.
The “don’t jump if you’re English” chant is ingrained in Argentine sporting culture.
So much so that after each World Cup win, the players, including their captain Lionel Messi, applaud their fans who serenade them with the song.
The players leap in the air every time it gets to the key line.
Read more: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2026/07/14/argentina-hate-england-more-than-we-hate-them-world-cup/
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