Is this the most passionate football fan in the world? FIFA thinks so!

The FIFA The Best Awards was a complete tribute to Argentina and its national team. Leo Messi, Lionel Scaloni, and Emiliano Martínez took the prizes for Best Player, Best Coach, and Best Goalkeeper. No surprise they won the World Cup!

Carlos Pascual, also known as 'El Tula', is an 82-year-old football fan from Argentina. Tula follows the Argentinian national team around the world, cheering on from the stands. The question is, who is Tula and is he the most committed football fan in the world?

Tula was awarded the great FIFA Fan Award, officially recognizing Argentine fans as the best football fans in the world!

"I am very happy because we took all the prizes. Dibu, Scaloni, Messi... Well, we are the best," Tula said on stage while dressed in his Argentinian kit.

What makes Tula the best football fan in the world? His boundless charisma and his constant devotion to the Argentine football team, justified by his impressive game attendece record.

"I was the first football fan to enter a world championship with a drum. I am part of the history of the World Cups," he told Telam, an Argentinian news channel.

The first game Tula ever visited with his iconic drum was in the 1974 World Cup, held in Western Germany. Since then Tula has never missed a game. It has become more than just a sport!

Photo: Instagram - @yairyoma

Tula added his 13th World Cup visit during his stay in Qatar. He has become one of the very few Argentinian football fans to have witnessed the team win their three stars: Argentina 1978, Mexico 1986, and Qatar 2022.

The iconic bass drum which Tula carries around to the games was a gift from Juan Domingo Perón. Argentina's former president gifted Tula the drum in 1971, during his exile in Spain.

Photo: Instagram - @marianogrincagjer

FIFA took into account a lot of factors when deciding the world's best football fans. Argentinians traveled long distances to attend the Qatari World Cup and then welcomed the team home with a public celebration attended by over five million people. True dedication and love for one's national team.

Among all the football stars present at the gala, Tula was chosen to collect the award for the best fans in the world alongside his idol Lionel Messi. The choice was unanimous and clear, Tula represents Argentina's passion for football.

Tula has now set his sights on the next World Cup event coming up in 2026. The World Cup will be hosted in Mexico, the United States, and Canada and it will be up to Argentina to defend its title!