SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Argentina came out on top Saturday in the final match of the World Cup, but it was a tight game against France. It went into overtime and then ended in penalty kicks. The energy in North Park's Mini Park was second to none.
“North Park always shows up,” said Meryl Leventon, a volunteer with North Park's Business and Neighborhood Foundation.
Hundreds of soccer fans woke up early to watch the big game, and some never went to bed.
“We’ve just been in agony waiting for the game. We didn’t sleep. We came over here, set up our chairs at 5:30a.m.” said Vania Ruiz, an Argentina fan.
Argentina supporters were loud from the start, expecting a win after the first half of the game.
“The Argentina fans here came out strong,” Leventon said.
But when France tied, the people in the back stood up.
“As I walked around and saw the France fans, I was like, I feel like we’re a crowd divided here,” Leventon said.
“When France scored, and scored again, I felt totally with the team,” said Jeffry Granados, a France fan.
People piled into the Mini Park as the teams went to penalty kicks. Fans nervously waited for the goal that would win the game. It was then that Argentina took the lead and came out on top in the 2022 World Cup.
“This, this is the feeling,” said Brandon O'Shea, an Argentina fan.
Fans were emotional after waiting years for Messi’s first World Cup win.
“We were crying in 2014, 2015, 2016, lost three finals in a row," O'Shea said. "Messi finally brought us to the promised land.”
“The highs are high and the lows are so low," Ruiz said. "But it's the high, we won, so I don’t have to worry about the lows for another four years.”
