What is ‘Anulo mufa’, the superstition of the Argentina supporters at World Cup 2026?

Many eyes were on Argentina before the start of the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Mexico and Canada, as they had a solid roster to support one of the all-time greats, Lionel Messi.

They were looking to retain the global crown they collected in Qatar four years prior but despite the pressure on Lionel Scaloni and his players’ shoulders, the Argentine nation has been willing them on to lift another gold-laden World Cup trophy.

And there was maybe something else pushing them along again.

Argentina’s ‘Anulo mufa’ factor

For Argentinian fans, soccer is close to being a religion and when it comes to the World Cup, the whole country supports their team until the very last moment. And for such passionate supporters, there might be some intangibles besides the game that may affect the final result.

During this World Cup, just like during the 2022 edition, fans of the Albiceleste have been using the phrase Anulo mufa all over social media to try to give their team a bit of luck.

What does ‘Anulo mufa’ mean?

This phrase was created before the start of the previous World Cup by Argentinian fans to cancel a curse but also as a way of protecting the team from any bad results or elimination after so many people made predictions about the team’s chances of going all the way in the tournament.

Mufa translates to jinx or bad luck, while the word Anulo means to cancel or rescind. If you remember, it didn’t initially help the team in Qatar, as Messi and co. lost to Saudi Arabia in their opener (1-2), one of the biggest shocks any fan could have expected.

However, it became more and more popular as La Albiceleste bounced back from that defeat with a winning streak that took Scaloni’s men to the final where they edged out then reigning champions France.

Ahead of the 2026 semifinal against the old enemy England, the players will be focused on hard work and clear tactics, but their fans aren’t taking any risks and continue to promote the phrase Anulo mufa... just in case.

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