91-Year-Old Broadcaster Heads to His 18th World Cup

At 91, Enrique Macaya Márquez is packing his bags for another World Cup, proving that passion doesn't come with an expiration date.

The Argentine broadcaster has covered every single FIFA World Cup since 1958, when he was just 23 years old. This month, he's heading to North America 2026 to extend his record to 18 tournaments, a streak FIFA officially recognized in 2022 as the longest in journalism history.

His first trip wasn't easy. Getting to Sweden in 1958 required multiple flights on a Douglas DC-7, plus trains and ferries through Dakar, Italy, and Denmark. "It was something completely unknown," Macaya recalls of the journey that would launch seven decades of dedication.

That tournament introduced the world to a 17-year-old named Pelé, who helped Brazil win its first World Cup title. Macaya remembers the young player's "tremendous physical ability" but admits nobody knew then that Pelé would become a legend.

For Macaya, though, his childhood neighbor Alfredo Di Stéfano remains the greatest player he ever saw. The two played football together near Di Stéfano's Buenos Aires home, where young Macaya looked after a newspaper stand. "He was older than me. Then, he became my idol."

Health issues have slowed Macaya down in recent years, limiting his public appearances. But missing the World Cup? Never an option.

"I feel as though I have an obligation to do it," he told reporters before departing for the United States, where he'll commentate for DirecTV and DSports. "I don't know how much longer it will go on, but I'll try to make the most of the one I have in front of me."

Why This Inspires

Macaya's story reminds us that loving what you do can carry you through nearly seven decades of work. His commitment has taken him from the age of crackling radio broadcasts and black-and-white television to today's hyperconnected digital world. Through it all, he's maintained one simple philosophy: avoid making himself the story, and let the beautiful game shine.

Even Diego Maradona once publicly acknowledged Macaya's integrity, requesting a televised meeting in 1994 to admit the journalist had been right after years of disagreements. "He didn't do that for anyone else. Nobody," Macaya says with a smile.

As the World Cup kicks off across Mexico, the United States, and Canada, Macaya will be there, microphone in hand, doing what he's done for 67 years: sharing the joy of football with millions back home.