Fans of the Argentina team that claimed soccer’s ultimate prize in Qatar this month are lining up in Buenos Aires for tattoos of victorious captain Lionel Messi and the FIFA World Cup trophy.
“For the next two weeks, I have [appointments] exclusively related to the World Cup,” tattoo artist Esteban Vucinovich said.
“Some had already made an appointment for tattoos of snakes or skulls, but they are changing it to Messi or the cup. I have two or three appointments a day,” he said.
Photo: AFP
The most requested skin art is of the trophy, said Vucinovich, followed by Messi and then goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, who was crucial in Argentina’s victory in the final against France.
Many fans are inspired by the body art of Argentina players such as Angel di Maria, who is sporting a World Cup tattoo on his right leg.
“I got a tattoo of Messi as a gesture of thanks,” civil servant Nicolas Rechanik said. “This represents not only what Messi is, but also the team that brought us a third World Cup and all the years of effort to reach this goal.”
Before getting the image of Messi in the team’s blue-and-white striped jersey and kissing the trophy indelibly attached to his left leg, Rechanik already sported the likeness of another Argentine soccer icon: Diego Maradona.
“It’s a perfect representation of what Argentine football is and what it means to be Argentine,” he said.
Soccer fanatic Alma Ocampo, 20, decided to get a tattoo when, to everyone’s surprise, Argentina lost its first match of the World Cup to Saudi Arabia.
“When everyone lost confidence, I decided that ... if Argentina wins, I will get a tattoo of the Cup. And so I did, with the date December 18, 2022” of the final, she said, adding that “it hurt quite a bit.”
Ariel Sacchi, a physical education teacher, got a tattoo representing all five World Cups that Messi has played in. At the center is an image of the Argentina captain kissing the Cup.
“I decided to get Leo [Messi] because he brought the greatest joy to all Argentines,” Sacchi said.
Not all tattoos are equal though, and many a fan has been mocked on social media for blundered ink: A fat-faced Messi or misspelled names are among the trending topics.
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