At 88 years old, Enrique Macaya Márquez is still doing what he loves most. The Argentine journalist commentated on the opening match of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 — on his birthday — making it 17 consecutive FIFA World Cups covered, a record unmatched among journalists worldwide.

His journey began in 1958, when a 23-year-old Macaya Márquez boarded a DC-7 propeller aircraft in Buenos Aires, bound for Sweden. The plane refuelled at so many stops he lost count. A train, a bus, and a ferry later, he finally arrived. Broadcasting home to Argentina meant routing audio through a telephone exchange — a process he described as "a miracle it worked."

A rude awakening in Sweden

Argentina had not appeared at a World Cup since 1934, having withdrawn from the 1938, 1950, and 1954 tournaments. Their dominance in the Copa América had convinced many — including Macaya Márquez himself — that they were among the world's best. Czechoslovakia quickly put that illusion to rest, putting six goals past Argentina in a humbling defeat.

"I couldn't believe it, it was inexplicable," he recalled. "How could we concede six goals to a team we had never heard of? I couldn't handle it and I started smoking again, three years after giving up. It was a tough lesson."

Seven decades at the microphone

Macaya Márquez grew up in the same neighbourhood as Alfredo Di Stefano and played informal football alongside the man who would become one of Real Madrid's all-time greats. He entered radio at 15, stepping into the commentary booth by chance when a regular broadcaster was unavailable. He never stepped back out.

Over the decades, he witnessed Argentina lift the World Cup in 1978 and 1986, and was present for Diego Maradona's first international goal — a friendly against Scotland in Glasgow in 1979. He saw Brazil's celebrated 1970 side and chronicled football history across seven decades.

Yet his favourite team of all was the Netherlands side of 1974. Despite finishing as runners-up, their expression of total football left a lasting impression. "They moved the ball really well, I liked their technical ability, the constant movement, their physical condition. They were a great representation of total football — players of great quality," he said.

Radio first, television second

Although it was his television work — particularly as presenter of the Fútbol de Primero programme in the 1990s — that made him a household name in Argentina, Macaya Márquez has always considered radio his true home. He has worked across stations including Colonia, Belgrano, Provincia, Rivadavia, Mitre, La Red, and Del Plata, and contributed columns to Clarín and La Nacion.

"It was television that made me a household name, but a lot of people don't realise that I began working in radio at the age of 15," he said.

His recipe for longevity in the booth? "You need knowledge, and you have to know how to communicate what you know. You have to know the game and interpret it correctly. It's not easy and you have to learn all the time, talking to people and learning from them — that is how you get better." As for match preparation, he keeps it simple: "Nothing at all." For Macaya Márquez, it all comes naturally.