When Spain and Argentina clash in the FIFA World Cup final at New York New Jersey Stadium on Monday morning Australian time, most households will be firmly in one camp. For one Sydney family, however, the occasion is something rarer: a guaranteed celebration, no matter the result.

Sandra Hurtado and Fernando Travasso have been together in Australia since 2008, building a life that blends Spanish and Argentine culture in equal measure. Hurtado will pull on her Spanish La Roja jersey; Travasso will be flying the flag for Argentina. Their three children — 11-year-old Marco and 10-year-old twins Sofia and Carla — have grown up steeped in both traditions and find themselves caught happily in the middle.

A World Cup Final with No Bad Blood

"For me, especially, it feels like the cup is already home because whoever wins doesn't matter for us," Hurtado said. "Whoever wins is a win for us — I'm gonna celebrate anyway."

Her daughter Sofia echoed that sentiment with a maturity beyond her years. "I just want both to win, and even if one of them loses, I think they can improve next time and get better," Sofia said. "As both of my siblings said, it's very hard to choose."

Travasso was equally upbeat, though he acknowledged there would be some friendly heat in the living room once the jerseys went on. "Once we sit down there with our different T-shirts and all the things, I still think that would be a nice competition, it would be a little bit spicy, and we are going to have good fun," he said.

Football as Identity, From Madrid to Buenos Aires

For both parents, the sport carries a weight that goes well beyond ninety minutes on a pitch. Hurtado described football in Spain as holding the same cultural significance that AFL commands in Australia. She recalled that before Spain's landmark 2010 World Cup triumph, the national side had rarely progressed deep into tournaments. Spain is now chasing a second world title, and Hurtado is quietly confident. "Hopefully now, we're gonna win," she said.

Argentina, meanwhile, are hunting their fourth World Cup championship — and their second in succession after the 2022 triumph. Back-to-back titles would make them the first nation to achieve that feat since Brazil in 1962. You can read more about how Argentina made it to the final and get a full breakdown in our Spain v Argentina final preview.

For Travasso, football in Argentina is inseparable from national identity. "Through different cities in Argentina, you can find big murals or big paintings on the wall with Messi," he said. He also recalled childhood memories of watching Diego Maradona play on a black-and-white television — images that have stayed with him across decades and continents.

Keeping Two Cultures Alive in Sydney

Nearly two decades after arriving in Australia, Hurtado and Travasso say they have integrated into Australian life while deliberately keeping their respective heritages alive for their children. The World Cup, Travasso said, has become one of the most powerful tools for staying connected to family back home.

"We've been heavily involved in the community and integrated into Australian society, but we still manage to keep our identity and pass on the values and history of each of our cultures," he said. "Every day we have conversations with our relatives. When the World Cup comes and we have both countries together, we're going to be using WhatsApp at the same time."

Hurtado said she hopes the final leaves her children with a lesson that stretches beyond sport. "Both Argentina and Spain have demonstrated that they are fighters," she said. "In life it's not about one person, it's about a team. When someone wins, it's not just the person who scores the goal; it's everybody working together towards the same goal. That's what we're trying to teach our children."

For the Hurtado-Travasso household, then, the scoreline on Monday morning almost feels beside the point — though don't expect either parent to stop cheering.