Tension and relief: viral Tapia-Domínguez hug after win | OneFootball

The Round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup left the hearts of Argentine fans frozen until the final minute of extra time. The deadlock against a surprising Cape Verde unleashed extreme tension that was felt not only on the pitch, but also in the official boxes of Hard Rock Stadium. The clearest sign of that relief was the emotional and viral hug of release between CONMEBOL president Alejandro Domínguez and AFA chief Claudio “Chiqui” Tapia.

Immediately after La Albiceleste sealed the dramatic 3-2 win, Domínguez set social media on fire by sharing the celebration video along with a direct message to the Argentine official: “What a relief, @tapiachiqui! This is how we celebrated Argentina’s third goal.” The post captured the exact moment when the two officials embraced in a deafening outburst, jumping and screaming desperately after the goal that avoided penalties and sent the world champions into the Round of 16.

The celebration at the top of South American football

The image of the South American confederation president celebrating alongside the head of the AFA exposed the strong political and personal bond between the two officials, but above all, it reflected the absolute drama of the match against the African side. Far from formal protocol, the shared euphoria and jumping made it clear that Argentina’s victory was celebrated like a true final in the VIP sections of the stadium in Miami.

This release of emotion from the football leadership added to the celebration of the thousands of fans in attendance and to the relief of Lionel Scaloni’s squad itself, which had to battle harder than expected after Lionel Messi’s historic goal and Cape Verde’s very tough tactical approach. With qualification secured in a match not for the faint-hearted, the leaders of South American and Argentine football can now breathe easier as they turn their attention to the next clash against Egypt.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.