Balakov and Dozens of Guests Experience the Full Drama and Emotion of England vs. Argentina

Bulgarian football legend Krassimir Balakov continued his special World Cup evenings, hosted at his "Casa Bala" restaurant on Simeonovsko Shose Boulevard in Sofia.

Dozens of visitors gathered at the legendary playmaker's establishment to savor the menu's delicacies while watching the thrilling World Cup 2026 semi-final between England and Argentina.

The drama was palpable, extending to the prediction lottery for the match's outcome. Only the well-known football fan Kiril Evtimov had predicted a 1-0 score for England, which held true until the 85th minute. The astonishing late comeback sent the entire venue into a frenzy of contrasting emotions – joy from Lautaro Martinez's winning goal and regret over Thomas Tuchel's cautious tactics and England's approach.

Ultimately, ten guests at CASA BALA correctly predicted Argentina's 2-1 victory and received surprise prizes from Krassimir Balakov – Stuttgart and national team jerseys, along with bottles of wine.

A similar event unfolded yesterday for the Spain-France match, though for the first time at Balakov's gatherings, not a single guest correctly predicted La Furia's 2-0 victory. However, the host showed generosity, distributing a bottle of wine and champagne each to four connoisseurs who had predicted a 2-1 success for the European champions.