Beckham and Simeone share Miami stage as World Cup keeps spirits high

In the neon glow of Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium, David Beckham and Diego Simeone stood side by side, their presence adding a touch of star power to the knockout clash between Argentina and Cape Verde. The World Cup’s knockout phase is underway, but beyond the tension on the pitch, social media has become a stage for lighter moments. Erling Haaland celebrated his two goals against Brazil with his brother Astor, who is traveling with the Norwegian squad’s fan contingent in the United States. Haaland, 25, with 62 goals in 54 internationals, also shared a photo with his girlfriend Isabel Haugseng Johansen, who is enjoying the World Cup experience. Her caption, ‘Galskap’—Norwegian for madness or craziness—captured the euphoria of the moment. Aron Dønnum, capped 17 times for Norway, missed the tournament but entertained 36,000 compatriots at Oslo’s Ullevaal Stadium with a pre-match performance ahead of Brazil’s game. Meanwhile, Simeone was in Miami to support his son Giuliano, while Beckham, Inter Miami’s chairman, watched his star player Lionel Messi shine. The World Cup is boosting football’s popularity in America, though American football remains the country’s top sport. Portuguese players, too, showed off their skills with a rugby ball in behind-the-scenes footage. Nicolás Tagliafico, the former Ajax left-back, celebrated Argentina’s quarterfinal run with his girlfriend Caro Calvagni. Their Instagram post carried the single word ‘Reloading.’

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Sidny Lopes Cabral’s World Cup goal for Cape Verde against Argentina sparked wild celebrations. His girlfriend Jayley da Cruz wrote on Instagram: “I always knew what you were capable of, but for the whole world to witness it is something I will never forget. I don’t think my face could hide how shocked I was.” Cabral, 23, who played youth football for Feyenoord and FC Twente, made his move from Viktoria Köln in Germany to Estrela da Amadora and Benfica before a €7 million transfer to Trabzonspor just before the tournament. His goal has now made Cape Verde a dream scenario against the world champions. Leandro and Juninho Bacuna, midfielders for Curaçao, marked their World Cup debut with a holiday on their home island. A playful photo showed them receiving kisses from a dolphin. Though the Netherlands exited the tournament four days ago, FIFA president Gianni Infantino took time during his packed schedule to thank the Dutch for their participation. “Your participation was marked by entertaining football and spectacular goals that brought joy to millions,” he wrote.

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Claudio Fabián ‘Chiqui’ Tapia, president of the Argentine Football Association since 2017, posed with Lionel Messi and Rodrigo De Paul ahead of the Round of 16 clash with Cape Verde. Under his leadership, Argentina has already won two Copa América titles and the 2022 World Cup. In Los Angeles, Spanish icons Rosalía, Penélope Cruz and Alexia Putellas celebrated Spain’s 3-0 win over Austria. Putellas, after 14 years at FC Barcelona, is set to join London City Lionesses. Keyne, the three-year-old brother of Lamine Yamal, was among the youngest fans soaking up the atmosphere in Los Angeles. Yamal’s girlfriend, Inés García Santos, took time for photos in the stands before kick-off. Haaland, already with five goals in three games, continued to entertain off the pitch. He shared images of himself wearing a cowboy hat and boots, with the shirt message ‘Y’all can kiss my Dallas’ purchased at a Texas store. His girlfriend called it “a dream come true.”