Jamie Gonzalez-Bradley, co-owner of Malaga Tapas in Glasgow, has travelled to the United States to support his home country in the World Cup final, accompanied by his four-year-old son Santiago, a devoted Lionel Messi fan. The 39-year-old flew to New York on Saturday with his brother Antonio and young Santiago for the highly anticipated clash between Spain and Argentina.
Despite the family's Spanish allegiance, Santiago proudly wore his Argentina shirt, a choice that sparked some controversy. Jamie Gonzalez-Bradley hopes Spain, led by star winger Lamine Yamal, can deny Lionel Messi's Argentina another World Cup title. He confirmed that staff at all Malaga Tapas and La Cabra venues will continue to support La Roja, as they have throughout the tournament by wearing Spain strips at work.
Family Celebration and Business Festivities
Speaking about the trip, Jamie Gonzalez-Bradley said: “We flew out to New York on Saturday. We’ll all be wearing Spain colours but my four-year-old absolutely loves Messi and says he’ll be wearing his Argentina top. It’s my brother Antonio’s 30th birthday this week, so a trip to New York to watch the final was the perfect way to celebrate. Hopefully all the Spain fans in Glasgow can join us afterwards for a winners’ party.”
To engage customers back home, the restaurants will show the game and offer a free drink every time Spain scores. “We’ve done that throughout the tournament and it’s brought us luck, so we don’t want to jinx ourselves by changing anything. All the staff will be dressed in Spain colours, just as they have been all the way through,” Jamie added.
Background and Roots
Jamie Gonzalez-Bradley was born in Glasgow but moved to Malaga at just six weeks old after his Spanish father, Christobal, and Scottish mother, Susan, relocated the family. After spending years living between Spain and Scotland, the family eventually settled in Glasgow and opened their first restaurant in Pollokshields in 2011.
Despite what is expected to be one of the busiest nights of the year for the restaurant business, Jamie was determined not to miss the opportunity to watch Spain bid to become world champions once again. The FIFA World Cup final between Spain and Argentina takes place on Sunday, with the match broadcast live on BBC1 and STV from 7pm, ahead of an 8pm BST kick-off.
