Macaya Marquez has covered more World Cups than any journalist alive, and at 91 he is not finished yet. The Argentine broadcaster Enrique Macaya Marquez is working his 18th consecutive World Cup at the 2026 tournament in North America, an unbroken run stretching back to Sweden 1958, when a 17-year-old prodigy named Pele lit up the world. According to BBC Sport, even Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni stopped to pose for a photo with him before the group-stage match against Jordan. His archive of memories includes the tournament every England fan cherishes most: Wembley, 1966.
Who Is Enrique Macaya Marquez, the Doyen of World Cup 2026?
Enrique Macaya Marquez is a 91-year-old Argentine journalist and broadcaster who has covered 18 consecutive World Cups, from Sweden 1958 to the 2026 tournament in the USA, Canada and Mexico. No other reporter on the planet has attended that many editions without missing one. He was just 24 when he was sent to Sweden for his first assignment.
At World Cup 2026 he has become the unlikely star of the press zones, with everyone from fellow reporters to World Cup-winning coaches queuing for photographs. Lionel Scaloni, who led Argentina to the 2022 title, posed with the veteran after his press conference ahead of Argentina’s group match with Jordan.
From Pele in 1958 to Wembley 1966: Football History Through One Man’s Eyes
Macaya Marquez’s first World Cup, Sweden 1958, remains one of the most storied of all: 17-year-old Pele scored twice in the final as Brazil beat the hosts 5-2 to win their first title. Eight years later, the Argentine was in England for the 1966 tournament, when Bobby Moore lifted the Jules Rimet trophy at Wembley after the hosts beat West Germany 4-2 in the final.
That makes him one of vanishingly few working journalists who witnessed England’s only World Cup triumph first-hand. In the six decades since, he has chronicled every agonising near-miss and every golden generation, from Italia 90 to the Southgate years, all from the press box.
What His Story Means for England at World Cup 2026
Sixty years on from 1966, England arrive at World Cup 2026 under Thomas Tuchel looking to end the longest wait among the traditional powers. Drawn in Group L alongside Croatia, Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham carry the burden that 14 England squads before them could not shift.
Macaya Marquez’s career is a reminder that every World Cup writes one immortal story. In 1958 it was Pele; in 1966 it was Moore, Hurst and Wembley; in 2022 it was Messi. If England finally deliver in 2026, the 91-year-old doyen of the World Cup will be there to record it, at his 18th tournament in a row.
FAQ
Who is Enrique Macaya Marquez?
He is a 91-year-old Argentine sports journalist and broadcaster, widely regarded as the doyen of World Cup reporting. At the 2026 tournament he is covering his 18th consecutive World Cup, an unprecedented record.
How many World Cups has he covered?
He has covered 18 consecutive World Cups, never missing a men’s tournament since Sweden 1958, where he was sent as a 24-year-old reporter.
What was his first World Cup?
His first World Cup was Sweden 1958, where a 17-year-old Pele scored twice in the final as Brazil beat the hosts 5-2 to win their first world title.
Was he at England’s 1966 World Cup win?
Yes. Having attended every tournament since 1958, he covered the 1966 World Cup in England, when Bobby Moore’s side beat West Germany 4-2 at Wembley to lift the trophy.
Is he covering World Cup 2026?
Yes, he is in North America covering World Cup 2026, his 18th in a row. Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni posed for a photo with him after his press conference before the group game against Jordan.
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