Pilot tells Argentine fans on plane their team had won World Cup, slammed for 'sick joke'

A pilot is being criticised for pulling a prank on Argentine fans on the flight by telling them that their team had won. As they erupted in cheers, he revealed the truth - "Spain has won." Videos from the plane on social media show passengers being told the result of the Football World Cup final. Most of those on board are apparently wearing the Argentine team jersey. The pilot says, "It was a fiercely contested match right to the end, including extra time. Both teams gave it their all, but unfortunately, only one team can win the World Cup final."

He then tells them, "We wanted to congratulate our Argentine friends," at which point people started screaming in joy. Their happiness was short-lived as the pilot next says, "Spain has won." The pilot's deception earned him hate among not only Argentine fans, but also the country's media. One outlet called it a "sick joke." A newspaper called La Voz del Interior said, “During a flight, as the World Cup was reaching its climax, a Spanish captain announced a false result that sparked celebrations among the passengers before revealing Spain were the champions.”

Argentine media slams pilot for ‘sick joke’

Another Argentine media outlet said that the pilot invited harm upon himself by pulling the trick on fans aboard. It said that he committed a "terrible act with a questionable sense of humour". "The passengers might have wanted to confront him or enter the cockpit. A massive blunder," it added. The flight details have not been revealed, although some reports claim the pilot was Spanish.

Spain won their second World Cup after 16 years, downing Lionel Messi's Argentina 1-0. Messi's team was close to winning their fourth title, but Ferran Torres's extra-time strike threw cold water over their dreams. This was Messi's second World Cup final loss, while the country won the previous edition in 2022.