BUENOS AIRES, July 2026 – Just before each match, two men walk onto the pitch separately. They do not speak. They reach into their pockets. They toss candies onto the grass.
Leandro Paredes and Rodrigo De Paul have turned this act into the most viral superstition in world football. A video from the 2026 World Cup quarterfinal against Egypt shows the ritual in real time. It has been viewed millions of times across social media platforms. The act is simple. The story behind it is not.
Mónica Ferrarotti, De Paul’s mother, revealed the origin. Her father, De Paul’s grandfather, worked multiple jobs to support the family. Before every youth match, he would press a candy into his grandson’s hand. “It was his way of saying ‘I am with you,'” Ferrarotti said in an interview published by Somos Jujuy on July 7, 2026. After the grandfather passed away, De Paul began scattering candies on the field. He was honoring a sacrifice that shaped his life.
Paredes joined the ritual organically. The two midfielders, close friends since their time at Boca Juniors, began performing the toss together before the 2022 World Cup. The act became a team tradition. Teammates saw it as a good‑luck charm. It was a visible symbol of unity within the “Scaloneta” identity.
During the 2026 World Cup, the ritual gained a new layer of pressure. In the Round of 16 against Egypt, Paredes and De Paul were filmed repeating the candy toss. Diario Huarpe reported on July 7, 2026, that the two “volvieron a lanzar caramelos al césped” before the match. The quarterfinal video from El Liberal on July 2026 showed the same act. Consistency, not spontaneity, defines the superstition.
Why does this resonate? The ritual humanizes elite athletes. It turns multi‑million‑dollar professionals into men with family memories. It connects the global audience to a grandfather’s love. The candy toss is not about luck. It is about legacy.
Paredes and De Paul have built a lasting symbol. From a grandfather’s humble gift to a global sensation, the candy superstition will likely survive the 2026 campaign. It will inspire future generations of Argentine players. The ritual is no longer private. It belongs to the world.
💡 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- Q: What is the candy superstition involving Leandro Paredes and Rodrigo De Paul?
- A: Before each match, Paredes and De Paul separately toss candies onto the pitch as a ritual. It started as a tribute to De Paul’s grandfather, who gave him a candy before youth games as a symbol of support, and has since become a viral good‑luck charm for Argentina’s national team.
- Q: How did the candy ritual originate?
- A: Rodrigo De Paul’s grandfather, who worked multiple jobs to support the family, would press a candy into his hand before every youth match as a way of saying ‘I am with you.’ After his grandfather passed away, De Paul began scattering candies on the field to honor his sacrifice. Paredes joined the ritual organically as a close friend and teammate.
- Q: When did Leandro Paredes and Rodrigo De Paul start performing the candy toss together?
- A: The two midfielders, close friends since their time at Boca Juniors, began performing the toss together before the 2022 World Cup. The act became a team tradition and a visible symbol of unity within the ‘Scaloneta’ identity.
- Q: What impact did the ritual have during the 2026 World Cup?
- A: During the 2026 World Cup, the ritual gained new pressure and visibility. In the Round of 16 against Egypt, Paredes and De Paul were filmed repeating the candy toss, and the video went viral across social media platforms, millions of times.
Extended Reading
Sources: El Liberal (July 2026), Somos Jujuy (July 7, 2026), Diario Huarpe (July 7, 2026)
