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Football fans watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup round of 32 match between Argentina and Cape Verde on a large screen in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on July 3. / Courtesy of AFP via Yonhap News Agency

Argentina, eyeing a consecutive victory at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, sees its national production effectively halt every day the national team takes the field.

Local online news outlet Sefin reported on July 8 (local time), citing an official report from CAMMESA (Compania Administradora del Mercado Mayorista Electrico S.A.), that electricity consumption across the country drops sharply and repeatedly on match days.

During the round of 16 match against Egypt on July 7, Argentina's electricity consumption plunged drastically around the start and end of the game.

At 10:20 a.m. that day, the country's electricity consumption stood at 23,755 MWh, a level typical for early July. However, an hour before kickoff at 12:05 p.m., power usage dropped to 22,534 MWh, and slid further to 21,722 MWh at 12:55 p.m., just five minutes before the match began.

Electricity usage saw a minor rebound during halftime (1:50 p.m. to 2:05 p.m.) to 20,619 MWh, but began shrinking again with the start of the second half. It hit the day's low of 18,778 MWh when the match ended at 3:05 p.m., a level usually seen during the early hours of the morning when production activities completely stop.

"A 'W-shaped pattern' repeats, where consumption drops around the start of a World Cup match, rebounds briefly during halftime, and decreases once more," CAMMESA explained. "This serves as an indicator showing that work and production activities have ground to a halt nationwide."

In fact, the streets of major cities like Buenos Aires and Cordoba were nearly deserted, and many shops closed down entirely. Josefina, who runs a clothing store in the Once district, a prominent commercial area in Buenos Aires, said, "Business dries up during World Cup matches, so I close the shop and watch the broadcast with my employees."

The public sector was no exception. Tucuman and Jujuy provinces in northern Argentina issued gubernatorial decrees allowing only morning shifts for public workers and morning classes for elementary and middle schools on the match day. Osvaldo Jaldo, the governor of Tucuman, said, "We let everyone leave after morning hours so they could watch and cheer for the national team's round of 16 match," adding, "I hope many private businesses also accommodate their employees to let them watch the game."

San Juan and La Rioja provinces in western Argentina also allowed civil servants to leave early, practically clearing out for the afternoon. Local media reported that "with most civil servants leaving early, afternoon public services were effectively paralyzed."

Argentina pulled off a dramatic 3-2 comeback victory over Egypt in that match, netting three goals just before the end of the second half. Local media outlets forecast that with public expectations soaring, more provinces are likely to declare half-days for civil servants during upcoming weekday matches.

Meanwhile, Argentina is set to face Switzerland in the quarterfinals on July 11.

                                                                                                           Son Young-sik