“It’s was a childhood dream turned reality!” Vartane exclaims of the pure delight he felt at experiencing the final with 75,000 other fans at the mythical Maracana Stadium.
It was a great moment of shared sporting history that had been seven years in the making.
After such a long wait, the fantasy could have seen him disappointed by the eventual reality but Vartane says that is far from the case.
“It is unforgettable,” he says of the semi-final in between Argentina and Netherlands in Sao Paulo, and final in Rio de Janerio.
“It was an absolutely magic moment with spectators that came from all four corners of the planet. I was only aware of what I experienced when I returned to Noumea.”
Vartane wouldn’t reveal exactly how much of a dent this trip of a lifetime made on his wallet.
But he will assure anyone who asks that the moment Mario Götze scored the winning goal – the only one Vartane saw in 240 minutes of World Cup football in Brazil – makes it more than worth it.
A regular at OFC tournaments and internationals in the Pacific region, Vartane synchronises his holidays with international fixtures and has no plans to stop.
He believes that football can cross any borders, which is part of the reason he loves the game.
“I got along a lot with some of the foreign supporters, especially the Argentinans,” he says.
“We would meet before and after the matches or at Copacabana. To get to know each other we would talk football, as that’s why everyone came, and it made things easier. But we also covered other subjects like politics or the different cultures.”
Caught up in the atmosphere, he also discovered a soft spot for La Albiceleste.
“The Argentinan fans had traveled in their thousands to the stadium in time for the final, but because of a lack of tickets, many of them couldn’t enter. We saw them all over the streets in Rio and a lot of them were sleeping in their cars, that is real love for the shirt.”
Vartane says even in defeat that fervour didn’t waver.
“The Argentinans continued to sing, without stopping, until the closing ceremony.”
But he admits that for some the emotions ran a little too high, and the long-standing South American rivalry between Brazil and Argentina only exacerbated matters.
“The Argentinans created a song specifically to celebrate the seven goals scored against Brazil by Germany. Obviously that didn’t go down well,” he says.
“But on the other hand, the Brazilians did the same thing. Just after the final, leaving the stadium, I saw three Brazilians mocking Messi and fighting with an Argentinan.”
Overall the amateur photographer says those negative moments aren’t what he has taken with him from the experience.
After France in ’98 and Germany in 2006, this is Vartane’s third World Cup and what he will remember most is the quality of the Brazilians’ welcome.
“They thought of everything, for transport, and the information office especially. And compared with my two previous World Cups, the people were much warmer and available.
“At the same time, it’s true that the premature exit of Brazil dampened the atmosphere somewhat, but most people took it with a sense of irony,” he explains.
“They’re not fools, they new their team was playing poorly.”
Having returned to le Caillou Vartane is now turning his attentions towards a new dream.
“To see New Caledonia qualify for a World Cup and, of course, be there to watch them play.”
For more about New Caledonia football go to www.fedcalfoot.com

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