An au pair made my family obsessed with Argentina's World Cup run

When an au pair from Argentina, Yulca, joined my family in 2022, I expected convenient childcare and a cordial friendship. I did not expect to wake at 4 a.m. to watch her country play in the World Cup, or for my family—who had never watched an entire soccer game together—to become obsessed.

We cut a paper bunting of sky-blue stripes and golden suns and hung it above the television before the semifinals. We traveled with it for early Christmas celebrations and watched every minute of the final: extra time and the penalty shootout. When Gonzalo Montiel scored the decisive penalty and Argentina won, Yulca collapsed into tears as video calls arrived from relatives in the streets back home.

Amid the celebration, I ordered an official Argentina championship jersey for $120 to mark the moment. Over the next nine months Yulca taught us to fold empanadas and the rules around drinking mate, and she wore the jersey as a sign of pride and closeness.

Argentina

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