But since they had been knocked out through Croatia within the quarter-finals, he switched allegiance to Brazil’s arch opponents, Lionel Messi’s Argentina.
“As a football fanatic I think Argentina deserves this title,” mentioned the 38-year-old odontologist upon his go back to Sao Paulo.
He cheered on Argentina all through their 3-0 semi-final victory over Croatia on Tuesday that noticed the South Americans qualify for Sunday’s last.
Dos Santos Junior even wears his gentle blue and white Argentina jersey “without shame” at the streets of Brazil’s largest town.
He will set aside everlasting debates comparable to who used to be higher between Brazil’s Pele and Diego Maradona of Argentina to improve the Albiceleste in opposition to France.
“Argentines are passionate about their teams and their national team, which has the bit between its teeth,” he mentioned. “Any football lover supports such a noble cause.”
Earlier within the World Cup, Argentina trainer Lionel Scaloni mentioned that if his aspect may just now not win the match “I prefer that a South American team” does, even Brazil.
But whilst 33 % of Brazilians establish Argentina as their “second” group, greater than 60 % say they would not need their neighbor to win the World Cup, consistent with a ballot through the Brazilian knowledge research institute.
The courting between Argentines and Brazilians is an advanced one in relation to soccer.
After Argentina misplaced their opening World Cup fit in opposition to outsiders Saudi Arabia, Brazilian social media used to be awash with jokes and memes, some taking part in at the well-known “Don’t Cry for me Argentina” music composed through British duo Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice and popularized within the musical Evita.
Yet it used to be Brazil crying first when they had been knocked out.
Argentines additionally had the ultimate snicker all through the 2021 Copa America as Messi and his teammates beat their ancient opponents 1-0 within the last at Brazil’s Maracana fort.
Videos circulating on social media even confirmed Argentina’s gamers making a song “Brazilian, what happened? The five-time champions cowered,” within the converting rooms after Scaloni’s group beat Croatia.
And but some outstanding Brazilian figures are proper in the back of Argentina.
The nice Pele, who received the World Cup 3 times with the Selecao, celebrated Argentina’s semi-final victory and the genius of Messi from his health facility mattress in Sao Paulo, the place he used to be at the beginning admitted in past due November for most cancers remedy.
His daughter Kelly printed a social media put up of Pele staring at the fit that incorporated appreciative GIFs geared toward Messi.
“There are no words for you @leomessi,” former attacking midfielder Rivaldo, a World Cup winner with Brazil in 2002, wrote on social media.
“God knows and he will crown you on Sunday, you deserve this title.”
Messi, 35, is extensively seemed along Pele, Maradona and Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo as one of the vital largest gamers to ever grace the sport.
And there is just one trophy lacking from his implausible occupation: the World Cup.
Many Brazilians are as determined to look him win it earlier than he retires as they’re to look their very own hero Neymar, 5 years Messi’s junior, accomplish that.
“After Brazil were knocked out I started cheering for Argentina because Messi is the best player I have seen. He is playing at an impressive level and it’s only right that he is crowned,” mentioned economist Alexandre Caldas, 49.
Caldas’s eight-year-old son Bernardo is a big Messi fan.
“He’s crazy about Messi, he wants him to win, to be the best in the world and is even learning Spanish so he can ask for his autograph,” mentioned Caldas, who has purchased his son an argentina soccer package.
However, for some other folks the neighboring contention trumps the entirety.
Brazil’s former celebrity striker Ronaldo, referred to as El Fenomeno (the phenomenon) all through his occupation and who received the World Cup along Rivaldo, has picked France as favorites on Sunday.
And whilst he says he would be at liberty for Messi to win the World Cup, he added: “I’m not going to be so hypocritical as to say I would be happy for Argentina.”