¡¡¡Gooooool!!! La cultura de fútbol en Argentina

Written by Alanna McFadden

Published on April 18, 2024

A couple of weeks ago, my entire class got the chance to attend a soccer game - Talleres from Córdoba vs Independiente from Mendoza - in Córdoba's largest stadium, Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes. When we arrived, we were greeted by a tour guide, who allowed us onto the field before the game. While my friends and I were staring in wonder at the sheer size of the stadium, a few members of the rival team were beginning their warm-ups. The enormous stadium was slowly starting to fill with fans and even though it was a cold, rainy night, it would soon be packed.

After taking pictures in the VIP seats just feet away from the field, we attended a brief ceremony that celebrates the Familia de Fútbol (soccer family). During the ceremony, the attendees begin by saying the Lord's prayer and then the coaches of the rival teams shake hands and exchange jerseys as a symbol of unity and understanding. Even though soccer is a competitive game by nature, in which rivalries can create animosity between fans, this ceremony emphasizes good sportmanship, brotherhood, and harmony.

Next, we visited the sports museum inside the stadium. It had a small movie room where you could watch soccer matches in black and white film along with lots of memorabilia from important Argentine athletes. My favorite items were two basketballs with the handprints of two famous basketball players: Shaq (Shaquille O'Neal), an American who played for the NBA, and Fabri (Fabricio Oberto), an Argentine who played with Argentina's national basketball league as well as overseas in Spain and Greece. It was funny seeing how small my hands were compared to theirs. After we finished touring the museum, we went outside to join the crowd of fans eagerly waiting for the Talleres players to exit the team bus. Each time a player got off the bus, the crowd cheered with excitement. It was pretty hard to get a good spot and I had to stand on my tippy toes just to record the players. 

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After all of the excitement, we finally went to our seats. I watched nervously as men impressively balancing trays loaded with cones of papas fritas (french fries) and gaseosas (sodas) were traversing the stands. Meanwhile, fans were rolling out banners saying 'Fiel Siempre' (Faithful Always). Then, the lights dimmed and the entire stadium gazed at the tunnel to the field. As the home team ran out, fireworks lit up the night and the fans chanted the famous sports anthem 'Muchachos' which tells the story of Lionel Messi and his journey to winning the World Cup after a long series of losses. The song is now used as a morale booster that inspires hope in the fans and players for yet another win. 

Overall, the game was an exciting match, with a lot of fans getting heated over the amount of shots the Talleres players wasted. In the end, the score was 1-1, which was pretty underwhelming! I'm grateful, however, that I had the experience of attending a soccer game in Argentina. It definitely lived up to my imagination!

I hope to go again soon. I would love to see the rematch!