Carlos Pascual
, better known as
"el Tula" never missed
a World Cup event, from Germany 1974 to Qatar 2022, and his last adventure as a fan of this
82-year-old
man was receiving the FIFA The Best award, in
recognition of the best fans in the world
.
Representing millions of Argentines, who until very recently asked for a sponsor for his hype and thus be able to travel to Qatar, now added a personal star to a long history and even made
Gianni Infantino
, the president of FIFA, laugh.
It is that Tula made endless trips on
ships, planes and trains
, traveled to more than a dozen countries and even appeared in a video clip of the official song of Brazil 2014. And all this,
without speaking another language other than Spanish
, only counting anecdotes with Juan Domingo Perón and Diego Maradona.
Carlos "Tula" Pascual with the award for the best fans in the world.
Photo Reuters
"I'm very happy because
we won all the prizes
," was the first thing he said, standing on the stage where Lionel Messi himself, minutes later, would pronounce himself for winning another award for best footballer.
Tula took him for granted as a winner
.
"As a fan, I am
the first hype in the history of world football
since Germany 1974. Since that historic day I have been to all the World Cups, the Copa América, and I have traveled the world. The satisfaction that Argentina gave me as a fan of football
is priceless
," he said.
"I was in the three world championships that we were champions. But this is exciting.
I'm poor, but I've traveled all over the world
," he launched and generated a smile from Lionel Scaloni, who watched him from the stands.
And the approval of
his unexpected promoter: "Chiqui" Tapia,
boss of the AFA.
"I would like to say hello to all the fans in the world because the passion for soccer is impressive. And the
passion of us, the Argentines, too
. I am one more fan who has come to represent the thousands who have been supporting our team. And the millions of Argentines who were celebrating the victory of Argentina", he highlighted.
And he concluded: "
Argentina was a bit sad
and you
guys
from the National Team gave the people immense joy... I'm excited."
Before the gaze of those who accompanied him on stage and the complicity of the Argentines in the room, Tula ended up playing the National Team's anthem ("Vamos, vamos...") and "Argentina, Argentina".
Of course, all accompanied by
the sound of
his or his bomb.
Tula, a World Cup history
Until recently, the most famous fan of the national team
asked for a sponsor for his hype, to be able to pay for the trip to Qatar
, where he was finally present.
"God willing, I will be in Qatar. I have always been there and I do not want to miss it," he assured Clarín
in July 2022
, in a Lomas de Zamora confectionery that he usually frequents because he lives two blocks away.
"I come here because they price me, I don't have money. I
am a searcher
who is always in contact with people. Their love is very important," he said at the time.
At that time he said that the reality is that
he did not know how to go to Qatar
.
"I don't have money and I don't know how to speak languages. But God accompanies me and is with me. Imagine that I've already been to 12 World Cups and I never had money. I always find someone to bank me. For example, I was in Russia and a Russian helped me
,
and I hope that now someone will bank me again", he had said at that time.
The Tula and the drums, the instrument that made him known in the world.
"Lastly, I sell the hype
," he laughed, in a play that he did not need to travel.
"The truth is that to travel there it would be very important that someone could advertise in the hype and, thus, finance the trip. Honestly, I want a sponsor for the hype. Also, anyone who wants to advertise with me (in the hype
)
is
fine a lot because I am very famous
and I go out everywhere. It would be very important", he sold himself.
Tula said that she keeps the hype in her house, in the museum.
"In fact, I have
the hype museum!
I still keep the autographed one that Perón gave me, which is historic, also the first one I took to Germany in 1974," he said.
Beyond appearing on international television programs, appearing on the covers of newspapers and magazines of the time and in different stories about world cups, Tula
began his love for soccer in Rosario Central
.
The team he is a fan of.
El Tula, upon receiving The Best Photo Franck Fife/AFP award
"My first bass drum, which was the one I played on the Rosario Central field, I gave it to General Perón. Later, I had another one that was stolen from me. There were several. But the one in Germany 74 is pure history for everything that was experienced in that tournament", he pointed out.
And he described his first World Cup experience: "Everything is a great memory. I went by boat hitchhiking with the hype. I sent myself to Madrid, where I already knew from having had a meeting with Perón. Later, I had to go to the border with France and from there only to Germany".
Now he has gained the pleasure of representing
what works best for him: being a fan
.
DS
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