They sing, they stomp, they dance. World Cup fans from Argentina, Spain spent cash at the final | Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

World Cup final fans from Argentina and Spain turned the showdown in East Rutherford, New Jersey, into a noisy celebration where even Tom Cruise’s on-site remarks were hard to make out. Supporters traveled thousands of miles and spent heavily on tickets, drinks and other extras as Spain held Argentina 1-0, the winning goal scored by Ferran Torres in extra time on Sunday. For Argentines, the match carried extra weight because Lionel Messi appeared in what was described as likely his last World Cup game. Manuel Lopez Maccotta said he paid “almost 10K” for his ticket and viewed the cost as secondary to seeing the best player. His friend Santiago Burcaco said his ticket cost about $5,000. Another fan, Guadalupe Villar, said she and her husband paid roughly $7,000 each after extending a trip that began with contest wins for Argentina’s semifinal versus England in Atlanta, despite a weather-canceled flight that forced a 15-hour drive north.