Market rivals stay friends after Argentina edge England in World Cup clash

Rival football loyalties briefly divided a Jamaican market arcade as vendors watched Argentina defeat England 2-1 in a World Cup match that left supporters emotional, prayerful, and still on speaking terms when the final whistle blew.

Most of the crowd backed Argentina. Only three people rooted for England, a split one Argentina fan said made victory taste sweeter. Among the England camp was Ruben, who said he has followed the Three Lions since 2002 and called himself a true believer. He tipped a 2-0 England win and said he felt no need for dreams or revelations — only conviction.

An Argentina supporter described a sharper line between friendship and competition. "I love her at the end of the day, but during the match, a war," he said, adding that rivals are not friends while the game is on but reconnect afterwards. He traced his allegiance to Diego Maradona and to years of support that began while his brother was alive, and argued that Lionel Messi loomed larger than the tournament itself.

He also claimed a vivid pre-match dream of a 3-1 Argentina win, saying it came after intimacy with his partner before he slept. The final score landed at 2-1. "Clearly, I had a dream and the goat had another dream," he said, calling the contest the best match of the World Cup for him. He said he knew Argentina would prevail once the score reached 99 on the clock and his dream faded.

Emotion ran high throughout. He said he had missed the previous World Cup and now tears come whenever Messi plays well. At one stage he prayed, asking God to be with Argentina and saying he was shown they would win. He stood in front of the screen for the full match and insisted he never lost hope.

Pressure from opposing fans in the market did not shake him. With respect, he said, he was used to the noise, and "beef stay on the bone." Both camps stressed that they remain colleagues first: fellow salespeople who trade with and help one another, and who treat the rivalry as sport rather than personal conflict.

After the loss, Ruben accepted the result without excuse, criticised coaching choices — including defensive decisions from the 68th minute — and said he wanted players such as Marcus Rashford and Bukayo Saka introduced earlier next time. He pledged to return stronger for 2030. The Argentina fan, meanwhile, looked ahead to Spain and reminded his England friend that lunch was owed the next day.

"We still friends," one of them said. In the arcade, the war ends when the match does.