I arrived in Buenos Aires a couple of days after Argentina’s new president, Xavier Milei, was inaugurated on December 10, and stayed until after the Argentinians had celebrated their December 18 victory in the 2022 World Cup final. Nobody talked about anything else.
If Milei’s victory was historic, Argentina’s victory in soccer was no less epic. And they were both the result of the efforts of truly extraordinary figures who were—and are—absolutely devoted to faith, family, and freedom.
Everyone by now knows the sad history of Argentina’s plundering at the hands of first “Peronism” and then 20 years of “Kirchnerism.” But no one thought that an eccentric economist would be the one to eviscerate the myth of “21st-century socialism” with its promotion of the “gender ideology” and liberal abortion laws.
Only two years ago, anyone who dared to speak of a “President Milei” would have been laughed out of polite company. When he first ran for Congress, his small political party only managed to win two seats out of 257: his own and that of Victoria Villarruel, another pro-life leader.
But then, the miracle began to happen. First came the collection of signatures to enter Milei in the presidential race. Suddenly, he was on the move. He blew away his rivals in TV debates with eloquence, salted with occasional hyperbole, but always true to his convictions. His popular support grew quickly, and he stunned the country by coming in second in the first electoral round. Then, in the general, he won an overwhelming victory.
The Argentinian Deep State did its best to derail him. They failed because Milei, like Trump, is not a typical politician. He truly believes what he says and sticks to his guns even under fire. He is pro-life with no apologies. Like Churchill, he talked of the darkness before the dawn, telling them that they would have to endure months of suffering to root out the evils of socialism before they would begin to enjoy the fruits of liberty.
And this is why nearly all Xavier Milei fans are also fans of soccer, especially Argentina’s GOAT, Lionel Messi. It is not merely that soccer is the passion of Argentines and, for many, a quasi-religion. It is the extraordinary character of Messi himself, who, in the championship match in Qatar in 2022, won the World Cup for his country.
The Argentinian victory reminded Argentinians of who they were and what bound them together. The victorious players, led by Messi, publicly thanked God and dedicated the triumph to their families, parents, wives, and children (many of them present at the playoffs in Qatar) and, most especially, to the long-suffering Argentine people. God, family, and country, in that order.
Lionel Messi set the tone in a post-game interview: “I have always said that everything depends on God, on what He wants. He decides the moments. I always felt that way and that everything that happens happens for a reason. I have always asked Him and thanked Him for everything He has given me on a sporting and family level.”
Messi was an inspiration both on the field and off. He often publishes photos of playing with his three children with his wife Antonella, his girlfriend since childhood.
An Argentinian friend summed it up for me: “The world championship team so resonated with the traditional values of the Argentinian people that it advanced the cultural battle for Life and Family by two decades.”
The results of November’s elections are partly the fruit of that same victory and Lionel Messi’s example. Many of Milei’s voters were the same ones who saw a soccer team of men who never, ever quit, who came through many challenging games tougher and more skilled, and who ultimately prevailed.
Xavier Milei is cut from the same cloth, and appeals to the same God, family, and country constituency.
Although the battle to outlaw abortion in Argentina has just begun, the fact that Milei and Villarruel are now President and Vice-President of Argentina is reason to be hopeful.
As Messi noted, everything ultimately depends upon God. But He has surely raised up these champions of faith, family, and freedom to help defend His little ones.
