BTS paid tribute to Argentine football legend Lionel Messi during their long-awaited concert in Argentina, wearing his iconic No. 10 shirt and recreating his trademark goal celebration. The gesture moved fans who had waited 13 years to see all seven members perform together in the country.
According to The Korea Times, BTS opened the Argentine leg of their “Arirang” world tour on 21 October at Estadio Único Diego Armando Maradona in La Plata. It marked the first time since their 2013 debut that all seven members had performed together in Argentina. Local outlet Infobae described the concert as a historic moment for the country, highlighting the 13-year wait for the group.
One of the night’s biggest highlights came during “Come Over”. Five members, including V, wore Argentina national team shirts bearing Messi’s No. 10, while Jimin and Jin appeared in outfits featuring the colours of the Argentine flag.
The group also honoured the football icon by raising both index fingers, recreating Messi’s familiar goal celebration. The giant screen featured fan-created images celebrating Argentine culture, including references to Messi, mate tea and gauchos. Jungkook added a playful moment by playing rock-paper-scissors while wearing his shirt.
RM expressed his emotions on stage, saying, “We finally made it here. It took 13 years to get here. Thank you for waiting with love. I will never forget tonight.”
The members also won over the crowd with affectionate greetings in Spanish. V drew a particularly loud response by using Argentine slang to tell the audience, “No joke, you are the best audience” (“Fuera de joda, son el mejor público”). The moment quickly spread on X, formerly Twitter.
J-Hope greeted fans with “Che”, a common Argentine exclamation. Fans, meanwhile, celebrated the occasion with the playful hashtag “ARJINTINA”, blending Jin’s name with “Argentina”.
Jin recalled performing as a guest during Coldplay’s Buenos Aires concert in 2022, saying he remembered being deeply moved by the experience. Jungkook said he had always thought he was more passionate than the ARMY, but felt Jin had surpassed him that night. The cheers, he added, were “piercing through my in-ear monitors”.
Argentina’s energetic concert culture also drew attention. As fans jumped and bumped into one another in a practice known as “pogo”, Jimin reminded the audience that their safety mattered most. “The most important thing is that no one gets hurt today,” he said.
BTS surprised fans with performances of “Hold Me Tight” and “Dionysus”. Suga promised that the group would return, saying, “We will make sure to come back.”
The group will perform two more shows at the same venue on 23 and 24 October.
