- A 76-year-old woman in Argentina has the entire country calling her abuela, or grandma.
- She went viral after celebrating Argentina's win over Australia in the World Cup.
In 1993, Pet Shop Boys could have never imagined that their single "Go West," a hit that was actually a cover from Village People, ended up being the soundtrack of a heartwarming story that involves soccer, elder people, and an entire nation's dreams.
In early December, in a hot Buenos Aires summer. Argentina had just beaten Poland 2-0 in the first round of the World Cup, and a couple of men from Liniers, a popular neighborhood in the West of Buenos Aires, were effusively celebrating when suddenly — after hearing all of their excitement — an elderly woman joined the party.
In this TikTok era we are living in, this was, of course, on record. Shortly after, the rush with the granny chanting and dancing to the "Abuela, la la la la la" chorus, a hilarious rendition of the Pet Shop Boys cover, was on every cell phone's screen.
@octaruggero NOS VOLVIMOS A ENCONTRAR CON LA ABUELA ❤️ #mundial #viral #parati #seleccionargentina #tiktok #argentina ♬ sonido original - octaruggero
She became a good luck charm
She did it again after Argentina beat Australia. It then became a ritual and it was replicated when Argentina faced and defeated the Netherlands for a place in the semifinals.
The shirtless men were ready to get wild with the cameras rolling, waiting for Maria Cristina to show up. She did. And so she did in their duel against Croatia in the semifinals. She became a national good luck charm all of a sudden. , because Argentinians are not only passionate but also incredibly superstitious.
The funny thing is that María Cristina Mariscotti is not actually a grandmother. More likely an aunty, as she clarified in an interview with El Pais, "They have mistaken me because of my age and white hair."
Her 76 years old led everyone to consider her as their own granny. And she seemed pleased to play that role, at least throughout this entire tournament.
She turned down a free trip to Qatar
She had an offer from a major travel agency to head to Qatar in order to attend the final where Argentina will face France, but she declined it, stating that her place in this tournament was down in Liners, playing the granny for the millions of unknown grandsons and granddaughters that will be waiting for her when the referee blows his final whistle. She doesn't want to tempt luck by not being where she's been every time Argentina won a match.
She hopes, now, to rejoice about a major title that Argentina has been denied since 1986 when Diego Armando Maradona clinched it in Mexico.
Now the man in charge is none other than Leonel Messi, and while "La Abuela" incarnates the hope for almost all Argentinians, the mercurial forward seems to be her own idol. "I didn't have children, but I declare myself his step-mom," she said in an interview with the Washington Post.
She also doesn't watch the games, for good luck, after she hears the screams and chants of other neighbors in Liniers is that she knows it's time to come out with her flag and celebrate with everyone.
But Mariscotti's legacy wasn't limited to her now iconic corner. Days after becoming a celebrity, her figure inspired many young people to pay a visit to their real grandparents at their nursing homes, as the press reported.
Argentinians are enthusiasts, and this time the World Cup atmosphere helped the elder to be in the center of the searchlights, even on modern platforms widely dominated by the youngest netizens.
How this journey will end is something we'll only figure out on Sunday afternoon, but what we are sure about is that "La Abuela (la la la la la)" is here to stay.