Times Square filled with sky-blue-and-white flags, chants, and hugs among strangers. For a few hours, that New York intersection felt like an Argentine stadium transplanted into the heart of Manhattan.
But when the music stopped and people dispersed, cameras captured another scene. Cups, papers, bottles, and discarded flags covered the pavement at one of the world’s most photographed tourist spots. Videos that circulated after the celebration showed cleanup crews working against the clock to restore order to the square.
The contradiction was clear: the same place that just hours earlier had been the scene of collective joy was now an example of what happens when the celebration ends and no one stays behind to pick up what they left.