Elsa Pataky has revealed the distressing journey that stopped her, Chris Hemsworth and their children from attending the World Cup final between Spain and Argentina.
What was meant to become one of the most special memories of her family life ended up turning into a real nightmare. Elsa Pataky has tearfully shared how an unexpected flight incident prevented her, Chris Hemsworth and their children from attending the historic World Cup final between Spain and Argentina, a match for which they already had tickets.
The Spanish actress, who had just celebrated her 50th birthday during a holiday in Costa Rica, explained that the family had travelled to New York with the hope of experiencing one of the most important matches in recent history for the Spanish national team from inside the stadium. However, they never arrived in time.
- Five hours trapped inside the plane
Pataky explained that everything went wrong during the flight that was taking them from Costa Rica to New York. The plane had to be diverted to Philadelphia and remained grounded for five hours, ruining any chance of reaching the stadium on time.
“We had tickets for the Spain vs Argentina final, a dream, to watch it with my children. On the way from Costa Rica to New York, our plane was diverted to Philadelphia and we were stuck inside the plane for five hours. We didn’t make it,” she said, visibly emotional.
The sense of helplessness became even greater when they realised the match was starting while they were still sitting on the plane. “We had to watch it on the plane on the phone, crying because we were so close to seeing our country win,” she confessed. The actress admitted it was an especially intense moment for the whole family: “I hadn’t cried like that with my children in a long time.”
- A memory that still became unforgettable
Although they were unable to experience the final from the stadium, Elsa Pataky decided not to let the frustration ruin the trip. Once they landed in New York, the family headed to Times Square, where thousands of Spaniards were celebrating La Roja’s victory among flags, chants and spontaneous embraces.
“I wanted to show my children the excitement of all the Spaniards who were there,” she explained. That spontaneous celebration ended up becoming one of the most emotional moments of the trip, surrounded by fellow Spaniards sharing the joy of Spain’s second World Cup triumph.
The actress also revealed that one of her cousins did manage to reach the stadium after travelling from Australia. “He had to watch the match alone, with five empty seats, but at least he was able to enjoy the atmosphere with all the fans.”
- A trip that celebrated her 50th birthday
The World Cup final was supposed to be the perfect ending to a holiday that already carried very special meaning. On 18 July, Elsa Pataky celebrated her 50th birthday in Costa Rica alongside Chris Hemsworth and their three children, enjoying a few days of rest between idyllic beaches and places such as Santa Teresa and the Gulf of Nicoya.
During the getaway, the actress shared several images on social media accompanied by a message that summed up the personal moment she is experiencing: “Celebrating life. Here we go, fifth floor. Thank you for all the love.”
The return journey, however, became a race against time that did not go as planned. Even so, Elsa chose to hold on to the positive side of the story. “Sometimes life just won’t let you! We tried everything! But the greatest joy is that we won and I feel proud to be Spanish. Olé España!” she wrote afterwards.
