Argentina pulled off one of the greatest comebacks in FIFA World Cup history in the Round of 16 against Egypt on Tuesday.
Trailing in Atlanta by two goals until the 78th minute, the reigning world champions struck thrice in the final 10 minutes to end up 3-2 winners.
The nature of the triumph left several squad members in tears, including Lionel Messi and scorer of the winner Enzo Fernandez.
Manager Lionel Scaloni appeared the most emotional out of the lot.
The 48-year-old could not even complete his post-match interview after the turbulent encounter as he appeared with tears streaming down his cheeks.
“I can’t look at you, I’m sorry, I’m too emotional, what a group of players, my brother, that’s all”, Scaloni said with his voice cracking.
Little did he know that wearables manufacturer Garmin would use the motif and turn it into a classic sponsor activation.
Scaloni was named the ambassador for Garmin watches in Argentina in 2023. A passionate hobbyist cyclist, Scaloni is always seen sporting one of their wearables on the touchline when coaching La Albiceleste.
The encounter against Egypt was no different. Going by a highly recognizable rectangular watchface, Scaloni was likely sporting the Venu® X1 model. The watch boasts a titanium caseback along with a nylon band, and costs around 1,000 USD.
After clips of Scaloni’s post-match comments began going viral, Garmin quickly geared into action. The American brand posted a carousel on Instagram with a picture of Scaloni stressed up after Argentina’s 3rd goal, with his face in his hands in sheer disbelief.
On his hand, the Garmin watch showed an active heart rate reading of 180. The caption neatly pieced the puzzle together, reading “You don’t need to say anything…Your heartbeat has already said it all.”
The scenario was a distinct reference to the emotional upheaval the coach must have gone through in a dramatic second-half. It all began when a goal by Mostafa Ziko put the Egyptians 2-0 up before being ruled out. However, the forward earned redemption just minutes later to double the lead for good and Argentina looked all set to go crashing out.
It was not until the 79th minute when Cristian Romero pulled the South Americans back into the contest. Just four minutes later, Messi smashed a thunderous volley from inside the box amidst all-engulfing chaos to restore parity.
Nevertheless, Egypt continued to threaten Argentina’s goal, until a counterattack in the 93rd minute saw Fernandez head a cross into the net and bedlam ensued.
It must be mentioned that there is no official data revealing Scaloni’s actual heartbeat during these final few moments. Traditionally wisdom says at Scaloni’s age, anything above 172 would put him at the risk of a heart attack.
Speculative images also seem to have surfaced from the moment, showcasing a blank watch face rather than one showcasing Scaloni’s heart rate. However, their veracity cannot be confirmed. It must be noted that when heartrates do reach dangerous levels, most digital watches pop-up a warning much like those shown in Garmin’s a given you have enabled the High Heart Rate Alert setting.
Scaloni’s modus operandi with regards to his watch can only be guessed. Only the Argentine manager and Garmin’s team can know for sure whether the images were edited or not. Yet, taking count of all the evidence, it thus seems in all likelihood the images posted by Garmin were the work of marketing, made to accentuate the sheer absurdity of the match.
Regardless, Scaloni would be hoping such a situation does not repeat when his team takes on Switzerland in the quarterfinal at the Kansas City Stadium on Saturday.
