The head of government of the City of Buenos Aires, Jorge Macri, addressed on Thursday the comments made by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who had claimed that “Egypt was robbed” in the match against Argentina in the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup. The Buenos Aires official brought up the topic during the national flag-raising ceremony he led in Plaza de Mayo.

“Not with our boys!”: Macri’s message for Mamdani

“I’d tell the mayor of New York, Mamdani, not to mess with the Argentine national team: not with our boys! And when I read it, I almost felt like answering him the way Messi did: ‘Get out of here, fool!’. Mamdani is someone who doesn’t understand what’s going on in the world,” he said at the July 9th Independence Day event. Jorge Macri is the cousin of former Argentine President Mauricio Macri.

Las declaraciones de Mamdani sobre el arbitraje del partido entre la Argentina y Egipto

Macri was referring to a clip from a Zohran Mamdani speech about his city’s public transportation, in which the mayor tied the officiating by the French referee in the match against Egypt to different everyday examples from New Yorkers’ lives.

“By the time a year rolls around, you will have saved more than two days of commuting time. That means breakfast with your family. That means getting home in time for bedtime. It means agreeing with your friends that Egypt was robbed yesterday”, the New York City mayor said after the game.

Then, when pressed further by reporters there, Mamdani stood by his position: “I mean, if you’re going to call a foul on the first disallowed goal—,” he said jokingly.

The City and the World Cup

Setting aside the controversy sparked by Mamdani’s comments, the head of government also discussed details of the security protocol ahead of the national team’s next match.

“There will be a security operation like there always is, and anyone who comes to enjoy themselves peacefully can do so as always, but whoever attacks others or public property—which belongs to everyone—will be arrested by the City Police,” the Buenos Aires official warned.

Along the same lines, he explained that authorities will work to maintain order in the places where fans gather, and that police will arrest anyone who “causes disturbances”.

“Our responsibility is to guarantee that decent people can enjoy themselves. Everywhere the law, rules, and codes of conduct aren’t respected, the law will be enforced and upheld,” the head of government concluded.

The main official gathering point for fans wanting to watch the national team’s matches on a big screen is the Buenos Aires Fan Fest, located at Plaza Seeber (Avenida del Libertador and Avenida Sarmiento, Palermo).

Egipto vs Argentina - Mundial 2026

This space, set up by the city government, operates free of charge from noon to 8 p.m.—with extended hours on match days—and features special security coverage, food stands, and recreational activities.

This is a translation of an article originally published by the Política team at LA NACION.