A group of factory workers in Argentina have been left devastated after their company dismissed 35 employees by text message just 30 minutes before Argentina's World Cup round of 16 clash with Egypt on July 7, 2026.
Employees at the Metalfor machinery plant in Córdoba had been allowed to leave work an hour early to watch the match, which Argentina went on to win 3-2 against Egypt in Kansas.
"I gave my whole life to the company. Because of poor management by the board, we now find ourselves in this situation," said Fausto Barbero, who had worked at the plant for 21 years.
Barbero revealed that some of his colleagues did not even receive a text message and only discovered they had been laid off when they reported to work the following morning.
He said the excitement of watching Argentina play quickly turned into shock, stress and despair when workers received messages informing them that they no longer had jobs.
While the national team celebrated a 3-2 victory, the newly unemployed workers were left wondering how they would pay their bills.