One clip of Latin American soccer and you know that they are infamous for their relentless passion for the sport. From the sonorous vuvuzela sound that rings through the stadiums to the 30-second long “goooal” chants after each score, no culture is more upfront about their soccer obsession than Latin Americans. And all the love and craving for this sport is justified. While I always knew of the cultural interests these countries possess, after the readings about the development of Latin American soccer, I have learned that these countries have produced some of the best players, most nail-biting matches, and biggest drama.
Almost every country has contributed in some way to the soccer politics of the globe, the major ones being Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Cuba, Peru, and Venezuela.
From class discussions and readings, it seems as if some people are so devoted to soccer, they treat it as a religion. Eduardo Galeano states that, “There are towns and villages in Brazil which have no church, but not a one lacks a soccer field.” In class, we were introduced to “Iglesia Maradonia,” or the Church of Maradona, which has its own 10 Commandments and worships every aspect of this player. While Diego Maradona of Argentina brought great joy to the field and fans through his four world cups her participated in, he brought something more that highlights the passion of Latin Americans in relation to football. Through his actions related to soccer, drug habits, and more, Maradona transformed the role that a soccer player can have on his or her country. For Argentina during his prime, Maradona developed a political purpose in his outspoken opinions on imperialism, a road less travelled by athletes a that time. Sporting tattoos of Fidel Castro and Che Guevara, Maradona and his political antics stand out amongst the sea of timeless athletes.
These readings on Latin America shed light on other soccer superstars, such as Pele and Garrincha. These two timeless athletes played for Brazil at the same time, and Brazil never lost a match under their watch. While these two players flourished on the pitch, their life off the pitch could not be more different, a story detailed by Goldblatt in his book.
Latin American countries always hold a strong presence at every World Cup. For example, in 1978, the 11th World Cup, the Argentine dictatorship hosted it, as well as won it. Argentina had recently suffered a military coup led by the National Reorganization Process. Near the Buenos Aires Monumental Stadium, “Argentina’s Auschwitz, the torture and extermination camp at the Navy School of Mechanics, was operating at full speed.” The close juxtaposition of these harsh conditions and a world-wide event was basically ignored. The denial in addition to the win put Argentina in a fine light that masked the true hardships people were enduring through the Argentine dictatorship.
This instances are just a few of a plethora of political instances involved with Latin American soccer. They add on to the culture behind Latin American soccer and justify the deep passion these people hold for the sport.
This is a really interesting post. Your discussion on Pele and Maradona and their connection to politics really got me thinking about other prominent Latin American footballers and their connection to politics. It appears that in Latin America, soccer and politics are more intertwined than any other region of the world. Another great example of this is the documentary “The Two Escobars”. This documentary details the rise of Colombian soccer and its connection to the drug underworld. For much of the 20th century, Colombia had been an afterthought on the global soccer stage. Suddenly, they rose to the top of South American soccer in the 1990’s. This documentary focuses Andres Escobar, the captain of the Colombian national team and Pablo Escobar, the king of drug underworld. Pablo Escobar was a huge soccer fan and funneled millions of dollars of his drug money into Colombian football. He became extremely close with many of the Colombian national team players. In the end, Colombian was a massive failure in the 1994 World Cup. They failed to advance past the group stage and Andres Escobar played some of the worst soccer of his career. Once Andres Escobar arrived back in Colombia, he was murdered, while Pablo Escobar was eventually killed by United States forces. I just find it fascinating how connected soccer is to the societies in Latin America. Perhaps this is why they are so passionate about soccer because it is literally involved in all aspects of their lives.
Français:
Raya,
J’ai bien aimé votre poste. C’est incroyable que le sport puisse traverser des autres aspects de la vie des gens partout le monde. Comme vous avez dit, l’église de Maradona c’est juste un exemple où le sport et les joueurs influent les sociétés. Au début de votre poste, j’ai réfléchi aux ces moments dans le sport où on pense que l’amour pour le sport c’est plus qu’un passion, c’est une manière de vivre. Si vous parlez espagnol, je vous suggère d’entendre cette vidéo qui montre l’amour pour le sport. Comme l’église de Maradona, il y a aussi des références religieuses.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRaSyjRRc40
Et après, un autre but de Messi, le reporteur commence à pleurer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SR8-Cy13auY
English:
Raya,
I enjoyed your post. It’s amazing that sports like soccer can influence the lives of people around the world. As you said, the Church of Maradona is just one example where the sport and the players shape society. At the beginning of your post, I thought about those moments in soccer where you think the love for the sport is more than a passion, it’s a way of life. If you speak Spanish, I suggest you listen to this video that shows the love for the sport. Like the Church of Maradona, there are also religious references.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRaSyjRRc40
Another Messi goal where the reporter begins to cry!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SR8-Cy13auY
Enjoy!
Raya, insightful post! I totally agree with your assessment that Latin Americans are relentlessly passionate about football. The film “The Summer My Parents Went on Vacation” illustrated how Latin Americans fiercely supported their national teams, regardless of their governments’ brutality and oppression.
I found the Brazilians’ ardent support for their national team during the authoritarian military government particularly troubling. On one hand, fans cheered on Pele and the other players with deep passion. Though these players were merely athletes pursuing their dreams, they wore the jersey of a state that persecuted its own citizens. Moreover, our class discussions of Latin American football relate how football and the World Cup can make people forget about hardships experienced in daily life, and on a larger scale, national affairs.
Raya,
This is a very thoughtful post. I think the most intriguing part is your discussion on how Maradona was unique for his time in terms of speaking out against imperialism and getting involved in international affairs and politics. With that being said, it raises the question of: Do we think athletes, and even more generally celebrities, should be involved in such affairs?
On the one hand, athletes and celebrities have the power of influencing an enormous amount of people through their words and actions. Like Maradona, they have the ability to sway certain people in one direction or another. Especially nowadays, with social media and other forms of communication that can reach millions of people, athletes and celebrities can be heard around the world. That being said, is it smart and in their best interest to do so regarding a sensitive or taboo subject? Or is it too dangerous as it can possibly put them in a bad light with a number of their fans?
All in all, great post Raya! Very insightful and enjoyable.