She had only gone to pick up some medication. Without knowing it, she became the most talked-about good-luck ritual of the 2026 World Cup.
Argentina were losing 2-0 to Egypt, Messi had missed a penalty, and the match seemed all but over. Right at that moment, a woman walked into a pharmacy.
While the employees were helping her, Cuti Romero pulled one back, then the equalizer came, and everything changed. One worker at the store didn’t hesitate: he asked her to stay seated until the match was over.
She stayed. And Argentina, with a goal from Enzo Fernández deep into stoppage time, turned around a match that had seemed certain to be lost, winning 3-2 and advancing to the quarterfinals.
The security camera photo, with everyone watching the screen and her holding her phone, has already gone viral on social media.