Argentinian passion for football, not just a sport

In Argentina, football is not just a sport; it is a belief, a culture, a passion that every Argentinian defends from the bottom of his heart. Argentina won the 2022 FIFA World Cup – the first since it previously won two rounds in 1978 and 1986.

History

In Argentina, the game was introduced by an English schoolteacher. Watson Hutton was relocated to lead Saint Andrew's school in Buenos Aires. Hutton was recognized for starting the first Argentine football league in 1891. British players made up all five of the teams in that inaugural league, with Old Caledonians emerging as the inaugural champions, without allowing local teams, according to the Guardian.

On June 20, 1867, it was also an all-British affair when the first organized game took place at the Buenos Aires Cricket Club. The Red Caps lost 4-0 to the White Caps. The locals saw them as crazy Englishmen chasing a ball across a field, the Guardian reported.

According to Sport Site, the Argentine Football Association included teams with British players, some of which still exist today – Quilmes and Rosario Central are two examples. European immigrants in Argentina were the only ones allowed to play by the beginning of the 20th century. Sadly, there were no opportunities for the local community to play for the football teams. The majority of the clubs had rules that restricted membership to immigrants from Europe. Creoles made the decision and started clubs that welcomed neighborhood residents to play. Argentino de Quilmes was established in 1899, opening the door for numerous similar clubs. In the years that followed, as a tribute to their heritage and culture, Argentinians founded clubs with the titles Argentino or Argentinos.

Passionate culture for football

Argentina's obsession with football could be compared to a religion. Every week, fans travel to watch their favorite team play in a celebratory and frequently tense environment. Argentina's football is combative and played with passion, and governments have long taken advantage of this, according to the Culture Trip.

Argentina's football fans actively participate in the matches. The supporters rely on the values of “aguante”, meaning “hang on” in Argentinian, which fosters fortitude, bravery, and fearlessness. As a result, they motivate the players by participating actively in the game. They raise the energy level in the stadium by chanting and jumping on the stands. They also believe in standing up to the opposition, and they will defend their position no matter how hard the opposition becomes. The attendees are classified into fans, militant fans, and spectators. The militant fans attend the majority of games regardless of the circumstances, Sport Site reported.

The values of the aguante are particularly meaningful to militant fans, who frequently bring bells and tambourines to the stadiums. The fans keep on chanting, jumping, and dancing with a fast tempo. Nevertheless, this conduct has been observed to provoke some unrest, which resulted in the exclusion of Argentinian supporters from some games. Over the years, riots have sometimes been reported when fans are upset with the outcomes of games, according to Sport Site.

The legends

When it comes to discussions on the best football players of all time, the list frequently contains the name of Diego Armando Maradona, who received the FIFA Player of the Century Award. The fourth child, Diego Maradona was born on October 30, 1960, and spent his early years in a neighborhood of Buenos Aires. When he was three years old, a cousin gave him a ball as a birthday present. His outstanding talent was immediately apparent even at a young child, according to Football History.

Maradona made his official debut for the Argentinos Juniors first team at the age of 15, making him the youngest player in Primera history. He made his national team debut for Argentina a few months later. Maradona played for the Argentinos Juniors for five years, making 166 matches and scoring 116 goals. Over the years, he was moved to FC Barcelona and Napoli. In the 1986 World Cup, he was simply too quick and powerful for everyone else to stop him. Maradona used his influence to defeat every player and team during the competition, and he was selected as the Tournament's Player of the Year after leading his nation to victory, Football History reported.

The other Argentine legend is Lionel Messi, who was born in Rosario, Argentina, in 1987 and showed an early talent in football. From the age of five, he participated in sports at the Grandoli club, where his father served as the head coach. He appeared to have a bright future in football, but at the age of 11, a growth hormone deficit was discovered that necessitated costly therapy. After being relocated to Spain, Messi gave Barca a tryout, and the team was so fascinated that it decided to cover his medical bills, according to Bleacher Report.

Brining joy to every Argentinian, Messi succeeded in bringing the World Cup back home after beating France in 2022, reviving hope in a land where football is a basic life need.