With the FIFA World Cup being just four years away from its centenary, it’s logical that most people have only seen a handful of tournaments, or maybe even the last ten. One Argentine sports journalist, however, has reported on all but four: Enrique Macaya Márquez.

Born in Buenos Aires on November 20, 1934, Macaya, as his name is affectionately shortened, first started working in journalism at 15 for the historic Argentine radio outlet Rivadavia. 

At just 23, he was chosen to travel to Sweden, where the 1958 World Cup was taking place, reporting for Radio Belgrano. It was the start of a never-ending love affair with the tournament, never missing a single one after that.

In 2022, while Macaya was reporting on the Qatar World Cup at age 88, the International Sports Press Association (AIPS) and FIFA honored him for setting a world record as the journalist who had covered the most World Cups, 17.

He’s not stopping yet. Last week, the South American football governing body CONMEBOL posted a tribute on its Instagram, acknowledging Macaya as he began coverage of his 18th World Cup.

“A life dedicated to transmitting the memories and emotions of football, generation after generation,” the tribute read. “Passion, experience and legacy.”

FIFA boss Gianni Infantino also mentioned Macaya during the inaugural press conference of the World Cup, ahead of the tournament’s opening game in Mexico, calling it “truly incredible.”

“When I went to Sweden, it was pretty much my first flight,” Macaya said in an interview with FIFA in 2022. “It was a propeller plane, which had to stop to refuel because it couldn’t do the flight directly. I remember we sent the transmission over the radio, and didn’t know if it was going to reach Argentina.”

Back then, Macaya insisted he lives every World Cup with the same excitement.

“It comes from how you look at it, how you analyze it, and what you want to learn from it,” he said. “We’re the ones who transmit the information, so you have to be convinced about what you know.”

Beyond the World Cup

Beyond his World Cup experience, Macaya Márquez has become an icon of Argentine football. 

Between 1985 and 2009, he hosted the famous Fútbol de Primera TV show, which aired highlights, analysis, and commentary on each round from the Argentine First Division.

At a time when only those paying a subscription service could watch games live, the show became the only gateway into their team’s exploits for years, turning it into a staple of Argentine football.

Cover image: CONMEBOL Instagram