By early afternoon on Sunday, the concert grounds at Parque Metropolitano La Sabana had turned into an open-air stadium of their own. Families, groups of friends and visitors filled the space in front of a giant screen, faces painted, red Spanish shirts mixing with the sky blue and white of Argentina, waiting for a match that would crown a new world champion. When Ferran Torres struck in the second half of extra time, one half of the crowd erupted and the other fell quiet, and the afternoon tipped over into celebration.
Spain beat Argentina 1-0 after extra time at the stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, to lift the trophy for the second time in the country’s history and the first since 2010. Torres, a substitute, scored the only goal in the 106th minute against an Argentine side reduced to ten men after Enzo Fernández was sent off late in regulation. For Lionel Messi, at 39, it was most likely a final World Cup appearance, and it ended without the trophy.
None of that happened in Costa Rica, and yet the country spent the day living it. San José was the center of it. The municipality turned La Sabana into the heart of its “San José Te Quiere Aquí” mid-year holiday festival, with the final shown free on a large screen, food markets, a craft fair and children’s activities across the weekend. National acts including Tapón and Luis Rosal warmed up the crowd, and the Colombian group Piso 21 closed the night with a free concert once the football was over. Organizers had projected space for a large capacity at the venue, and by kickoff the grounds were packed, though a confirmed attendance figure was not released.
The party was not limited to the capital. Municipalities set up fan zones with giant screens in Turrialba, at Parque Ignacio Pérez in Esparza, in Grecia and elsewhere, many of them pairing the broadcast with markets meant to draw people out and lift local business during the holiday week. Shopping centers joined in too, with venues such as Lincoln Plaza in Moravia installing screens for families who wanted somewhere to watch outside the house. For anyone who stayed home, the match aired free on Teletica and on subscription through FOX Sports and Tigo Sports, with kickoff at 1 p.m. local time.
The pull is easy to explain. This World Cup was co-hosted across the United States, Mexico and Canada, closer to Costa Rica than any tournament in memory, and it has been front of mind here for weeks even though the national team did not qualify. Costa Rica also has deep and personal ties to both finalists, through a large resident Spanish community and a steady Argentine presence, and both turned out. At La Sabana, dozens of Spanish fans, joined by Costa Ricans backing La Roja, celebrated the title with flags, hugs and chants once the final whistle blew. Argentine supporters, on the losing side, stayed to applaud their team and promised to be back for the next one.
That mix of heartbreak and pride played out on a far larger scale in Buenos Aires, where crowds gathered at the Obelisk with fireworks and flags to salute the runners-up, and where President Javier Milei said the squad could name a day to celebrate the second-place finish that would then be declared a national holiday. Coach Lionel Scaloni, who guided Argentina to the 2022 title, broke down in tears and cut short his post-match press conference, leaving his own future with the team an open question.
By early afternoon on Sunday, the concert grounds at Parque Metropolitano La Sabana had turned into an open-air stadium of their own. Families, groups of friends and visitors filled the space in front of a giant screen, faces painted, red Spanish shirts mixing with the sky blue and white of Argentina, waiting for a match that would crown a new world champion. When Ferran Torres struck in the second half of extra time, one half of the crowd erupted and the other fell quiet, and the afternoon tipped over into celebration.
Spain beat Argentina 1-0 after extra time at the stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, to lift the trophy for the second time in the Spain’s history and the first since 2010. Torres, a substitute, scored the only goal in the 106th minute against an Argentine side reduced to ten men after Enzo Fernández was sent off late in regulation. For Lionel Messi, at 39, it was most likely a final World Cup appearance, and it ended without the trophy.
None of that happened in Costa Rica, and yet the country spent the day living it. San José was the center of it. The municipality turned La Sabana into the heart of its “San José Te Quiere Aquí” mid-year holiday festival, with the final shown free on a large screen, food markets, a craft fair and children’s activities across the weekend. National acts including Tapón and Luis Rosal warmed up the crowd, and the Colombian group Piso 21 closed the night with a free concert once the football was over. Organizers had projected space for a large capacity at the venue, and by kickoff the grounds were packed, though a confirmed attendance figure was not released.
The party was not limited to the capital. Municipalities set up fan zones with giant screens in Turrialba, at Parque Ignacio Pérez in Esparza, in Grecia and elsewhere, many of them pairing the broadcast with markets meant to draw people out and lift local business during the holiday week. Shopping centers joined in too, with venues such as Lincoln Plaza in Moravia installing screens for families who wanted somewhere to watch outside the house. For anyone who stayed home, the match aired free on Teletica and on subscription through FOX Sports and Tigo Sports, with kickoff at 1 p.m. local time.
The pull is easy to explain. This World Cup was co-hosted across the United States, Mexico and Canada, closer to Costa Rica than any tournament in memory, and it has been front of mind here for weeks even though the national team did not qualify. Costa Rica also has deep and personal ties to both finalists, through a large resident Spanish community and a steady Argentine presence, and both turned out. At La Sabana, dozens of Spanish fans, joined by Costa Ricans backing La Roja, celebrated the title with flags, hugs and chants once the final whistle blew. Argentine supporters, on the losing side, stayed to applaud their team and promised to be back for the next one.
That mix of heartbreak and pride played out on a far larger scale in Buenos Aires, where crowds gathered at the Obelisk with fireworks and flags to salute the runners-up, and where President Javier Milei said the squad could name a day to celebrate the second-place finish that would then be declared a national holiday. Coach Lionel Scaloni, who guided Argentina to the 2022 title, broke down in tears and cut short his post-match press conference, leaving his own future with the team an open question.
After a summer of watching a World Cup on the doorstep, Sunday was the last chapter, and Costa Rica watched it together, in a park, in a mall and in front of the television, the way most of the world did.
