New Delhi, June 11 -- As football fever builds ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, a group of Argentine fans who missed out on travelling to the tournament received an unexpected consolation prize - brand-new televisions.

Dozens of supporters whose applications for US tourist visas were rejected lined up outside a company office in Buenos Aires on Wednesday, hoping to take advantage of a unique promotion launched just before the start of the World Cup, Reuters reported.

The initiative came from Argentine conglomerate Newsan, which promised to give away free televisions from its local electronics brand, Noblex, to fans who could prove that their visa applications had been denied.

Under the promotion, the first 100 people to arrive at the ...