Why did 100,000 Argentinian fans congregate at the obelisk in Buenos Aires to chant ‘Messi Messi’ at this world cup?

It’s at the exact spot where the revered San Nicolas church once stood – the local neighbourhood microcento got its name from the church.

It was in that church that Argentina’s flag fluttered for the first time Buenos Aires in 1812. The obelisk was erected in 1936. It was designed by Alberto Prebisch, a celebrated Tucuman modernist architect of German origin, to commemorate Buenos Aires’ 400th anniversary. Incidentally, a few months before the flag was put up in the church in 1812, the first flag came up in Rosario, Leo Messi’s hometown, beside the Parana river, where the National Flag Memorial now stands.

What’s the football connection with the Obelisk?

It dates back to the 1978 World Cup – the first won by Argentina – when the South American country was ruled by a military dictatorship. It was said that the people would watch the world cup games then in the cinema halls and then flock to the obelisk to celebrate the wins.

The monument is at the intersection of two iconic streets: Avendia 9 de Julio and Avendia Corrientes. Right under the obelisk, three of the city’s underground metro lines converge; so it’s an easy spot for many in the city to congregate.

What are the monument’s features?

It only took four weeks (31 days) to build, made of Cordoba white stone. Its four sides represent important milestones in the history of the city: The founding of the city in 1536, its second and more permanent foundation in 1580, the fluttering of the first flag in 1812, and the declaration of Buenos Aires as the country’s capital in 1880. A fence was added around the base of the structure in 1987 after episodes of vandalism.