[Sportschosun, Jang Jong-ho] A passenger plane captain sparked controversy after joking in an in-flight announcement that “Argentina had won” shortly after the final of the 2026 <a href="https://absafricatv.com/why-is-everyone-talking-about-the-fifa-world-cup-halftime-show/" title="Why Is Everyone Talking About the FIFA World Cup Halftime Show?”>FIFA World Cup. Passengers wearing Argentina national football team jerseys cheered, thinking it was true, but they quickly fell silent when they learned that Spain was actually the winner.
According to foreign media outlets, including the Daily Mail, a video filmed inside the plane shortly after the World Cup final was recently posted on a social networking service.
The video shows the captain informing passengers of the match result. At the time, many passengers on board were wearing Argentina national football team jerseys.
Through the cabin announcement, the captain began by saying, “It was a fiercely contested match that went into extra time. Both teams gave it their all, but only one team can win the FIFA World Cup.”
He then said, “I would like to congratulate our Argentine friends,” prompting passengers to believe Argentina had won back-to-back World Cup titles and erupt in cheers and applause.
But a moment later, the captain continued, “The winning team is Spain,” and the cabin, which had been buzzing with excitement, fell silent in an instant.
The video quickly spread across social networking services, and criticism of the captain’s behavior followed in Argentina.
One Argentine daily reported, “As the World Cup final was drawing to a close, a Spanish captain first announced a false result to draw cheers from passengers, then revealed that the actual winner was Spain, causing controversy.”
Another Argentine outlet said, “This was not merely a display of humor, but a dangerous act that could have led passengers to head toward the cockpit or confront the captain,” adding that it was “a highly inappropriate decision.”
As of now, the airline’s name, flight number, and route have not been disclosed.
Meanwhile, Argentina failed to stop Ferran Torres’ decisive goal in the closing stages of extra time and surrendered the title to Spain. Spain claimed its second FIFA World Cup title overall, while Argentina fell short of winning back-to-back tournaments after the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Jang Jong-ho, bellho@sportschosun.com
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