Argentinian President Alberto Fernandez has caused a political stir since he first burst into the limelight of Argentine politics in 2019 as a politician who was running for president.
Although Fernandez served under both former President Cristina de Kirchner and her husband, former President Néstor Kirchner, he did not have the same prominence as them.
This week, the final match of the 2022 Qatar World Cup brought Argentina onto the pitch against France, and President Fernandez decided to watch from his home, fearing that it would be a bad omen for Messi and his companions.
Argentinian presidents have preferred not to personally attend any matches in the stadium again after Argentina lost 1-0 to Cameroon at the start of the 1990 tournament, which was in the presence of the Argentine President at the time, Carlos Menem.
President Fernandez was unable to meet his country's national football team, but he highlighted the unprecedented and huge celebration in the streets of Buenos Aires and its environs on Tuesday to celebrate his country’s victory in the Qatar 2022 World Cup.
In a tweet, Fernandez said, "I celebrate how the people took to the streets to pay homage to our national team. Millions of Argentines in the streets, in an uncommon December, which will remain forever in our hearts."
"We were all able to thank with unity and harmony the immense joy that they gave us. As president, I join in this," the Argentine president added.
Last Sunday, Argentina was crowned champion at the World Cup for the third time in its history by winning the Qatar 2022 final against France on penalties (4-2), after the original and extra-time game ended in a draw (3-3).
Fernandez, 63, graduated from law school, played guitar for a while, and entered politics for the first time in the early 1980s.
For most of his political career, Fernandez has been a member of the Justice Party, which follows the principles of populist ex-president Juan Perón and is now part of the main center-left opposition coalition, Frente de Todos.
Fernandez headed President de Kirchner's election campaign in 2003, then de Kirchner's wife's presidential campaign in 2007, and he held the position of Prime Minister during their respective years of rule of the country.
He resigned in 2008 after a sharp dispute with President Christina de Kirchner, and opposed policies such as attempts to politicize the judiciary and limit the influence of a powerful opposition media group.
After leaving his duties, he became an outspoken opponent of his former boss, but then dismissed their differences and said that "it happens to many Argentines, as you disagree with friends because you do not agree with a policy."
The Argentinian president is seen as a unifying force that brings together pro- and anti-Peronist forces, or Social Justice, a political movement based on the ideology of former Argentine President Perón's "Frente de Todos," a broad front focused on removing President Mauricio Macri from office.
