09/07/2026 07:19 - Actualidad
After an epic comeback by Argentina against Egypt, winning 3-2 on July 7, 2026, hope is burning brighter than ever. This Saturday, July 11 at 22:00, the Argentine national team — known affectionately as La Selección — will face Switzerland in the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Across the country, cities are bracing for what could be another massive street celebration.
Puerto Madryn is a coastal city of roughly 100,000 residents located in Chubut Province, in Argentine Patagonia — about 1,500 km (930 miles) south of Buenos Aires. It sits on the shores of the Golfo Nuevo, a bay famous for whale watching and marine wildlife. But this Saturday, the city's attention will shift from the ocean to football.
According to local radio station LU17, the First Police Station (known in Spanish as Comisaría Seccional Primera) is already planning a large-scale security deployment. The operation will involve more than 100 police officers stationed throughout the downtown area.
Chief Inspector Pablo Carrizo, head of the First Police Station, explained that the operation will mirror the successful one deployed during the Round of 16. It will include 50 staff from the Regional Unit's internal operations area, plus infantería — Argentina's equivalent of riot police, not military infantry — as well as canine units, mounted police (officers on horseback), and preventive patrol squads.
To protect pedestrians, the city will install barricades and fences along key downtown streets. The Municipal Traffic Department and the Road Safety Agency will carry out street closures to funnel the crowd toward the historic intersection of 28 de Julio and Mitre streets — the traditional epicenter of sporting celebrations in Puerto Madryn. 28 de Julio is a street named after a local patriotic date (July 28, 1824, commemorating a key battle in Argentine history), and Mitre honors Bartolomé Mitre, a former Argentine president.
Inspector Carrizo emphasized that the previous operation during the Round of 16 had a very positive outcome. The coastal promenade and a large screen set up at Muelle Piedra Buena — a pier named after Luis Piedra Buena, a 19th-century Argentine naval hero — drew a large crowd of families and students who later joined the downtown celebration. The few isolated incidents involving young people were quickly defused by the riot police brigade.
| Match | Argentina vs Switzerland |
|---|---|
| Stage | Quarter-finals |
| Date & Time | Saturday, July 11, 2026 — 22:00 |
| Location | Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Patagonia |
| Officers deployed | 100+ |
| Celebration point | 28 de Julio & Mitre intersection |
The logistical planning is being carried out jointly with Chief Inspector Gustavo Jaramillo, head of police operations, to ensure that on Saturday the city can cheer on La Selección in an atmosphere of total safety and joy. In Argentina, football is far more than a sport — it is a cultural phenomenon that brings entire communities together, and Puerto Madryn is no exception. ¡Vamos Argentina!
Alfredo S. Quiroga
