EG-Argentine Family Revels in World Cup Win

by Stephen Susi | Dec 18, 2022

Above: The Argentine-American Neimark family celebrate Argentina’s World Cup win Sunday, Dec. 18. From left, Ben, Romina, Ezequiel, and Sabrina. Submitted photo

Did you watch the World Cup Final Sunday?

On the surface that’s not a crazy question here in the United States, where soccer or futebol is clearly not the most popular sport. While soccer is increasing in popularity here, it can’t match the worldwide fandom that exists for it. To give some context, the 2022 Super Bowl had roughly 100 million viewers. The global audience for the Argentina vs. France final was estimated at 1.5 billion.

The World Cup takes place every four years and is the ultimate prize for those who dream of playing soccer. Similar to the Olympics, it is an opportunity to celebrate your heritage, your culture, and your country. It is the ultimate bragging rights and goes a long way to cementing a legacy if you win. On Sunday, Argentina’s Lionel Messi had his legacy cemented as the soccer G.O.A.T. New England knows this term well, as our beloved Tom Brady holds such a title – Greatest of All Time.

The Neimark family had themselves a day to remember Sunday. Ezequiel and Romina were born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina. They moved to the U.S. in 1998 and put their roots down in East Greenwich in 2006. They have two children, Sabrina, a junior at Northeastern, and Ben, a junior at EGHS. I asked the family to describe what today meant to them and below you will find their response.

Sabrina: I watched all of the games without my family since I was at school but I knew I needed to be home for the final. Watching Argentina win the final with my family is a moment I’ll never forget, I’ve been waiting my whole life for this win. I love my Argentine heritage and seeing the celebrations worldwide make me extra proud.

Ben: It really is an indescribable feeling winning the World Cup and being a part of the celebrations. Being Argentinian means being surrounded by soccer constantly and I wouldn’t trade that for the world. It’s our livelihood, something we look forward to at the end of a long week, something to fall back on when times get tough. Sharing that pure joy of winning with my family is a privilege and a memory I’ll keep with me for the rest of my life.

Romina: I was very nervous this morning, knowing that Argentina could be the next World Cup Soccer Champion but also that they were confronting the team who’ve won it four years ago. The amount of support from our friends here was amazing! We received many messages throughout the game, everyone going crazy with the tie, then the overtime and then the penalty kicks! It was unbelievable! I know we are far away from our family, celebrating in the streets of Buenos Aires, but we felt all the love from our friends here and that was more than enough!

Ezequiel: We are extremely happy! The World Cup is a huge deal worldwide, it happens every four years and only eight countries have ever won it. With today’s win Argentina has won it three times, the last one being in 1986. We have been waiting 36 years for today! We are far from our friends and family in Argentina and we are one of the very few Argentinean families in East Greenwich, I’m really happy my kids could see Argentina win the World Cup. We are very grateful for our local friends that watched the game with us and supported us all the way. Vamos Argentina!

Congrats to the Neimark family on Argentina’s well-deserved win. Now, will you be watching when the World Cup makes its way to the United States in 2026?

Ben Neimark, center, and friends Ryan Fay and Leo Paradise in 2014 and 2022. Submitted photos

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