Lionel Messi — Argentine Soccer’s New Messiah

Argentina’s Lionel Messi has once again won the Ballon D’Or, the ‘Golden Ball’ award given to the best footballer in the world over the past 12 months, yet one gets the feeling that the humble, self-effacing Messi would have been just as happy to pass the baton to another player. This is the third time [...]

Sugar – Expat Party and Sports Bar

Sugar bar in Palermo is a cavern-like expat party spot that doubles as a sports bar. On weekday evenings the bar fills with locals and foreigners alike who are keen to take advantage of the long happy hour, which lasts from 7pm until midnight. On Thursdays, girls pay a cover charge of AR$15 and can [...]

Maradona — Life After Soccer

←cont from: Maradona: The Scandals The most famous man in Argentina has not been able to settle down to a quiet life of retirement since leaving football. Drug and weight problems have continued to dog him. He underwent gastric bypass surgery in 2005 and has been to rehab on numerous occasions, most notably in 2000 [...]

Maradona — The Scandals

(← cont. from: Maradona: Goal of the Century) Diego Maradona’s life, like others who have fought their way out of extreme poverty to stand with the world at their feet, has followed a story arc that has included many profound lows to go along with the highs. Daniel Arcucci, sports editor of La Nacion told [...]

Diego Maradona: The Man, the Myth

The only positive to come out of Argentina’s humiliating 0-4 loss to the Germans in the 2010 World Cup Quarter Finals is that at least the nation’s citizens didn’t have to undergo the ordeal of seeing once great footballer, Diego Maradona run through the streets of Buenos Aires naked, as he had promised to do [...]

Cantina Los Amigos — A Classic in Villa Crespo

Cantina Los Amigos is the kind of neighborhood pit stop that touches on some core elements of what Argentina is all about: football, food and feisty characters. The grill is always fired, the pasta is homemade and wine is served in classic penguin pitchers in a boisterous venue that recalls the Argentina of yesteryear. In [...]

Join a Sporting Team in Buenos Aires

There are more ways to meet other foreigners in Buenos Aires than attending tango classes or sitting around in an expat bar until someone talks to you.  Joining a sporting team will ensure you have a whole bunch of instant friends to drink beer  and talk about how much you miss peanut butter with. Football/Soccer [...]

Football Argentina: Are you ready to choose a team?

One of the most important decisions any overseas visitor will have to make when coming to Argentina is which football club he or she is going to support.  Everyone in Argentina has a team, even people who don’t like football, and never watch matches.  It’s like a star sign, or a blood type – everyone [...]

Football Argentina: Getting a Hold of Tickets

The easiest way of getting a ticket to an Argentine football game is probably to go through your hotel or hostel. Ask at reception for upcoming games, or a specific game you want to see, and they should be able to arrange it for you, usually with a guide and transport to and from the [...]

Football Argentina: Which Games to Attend?

This will obviously depend on scheduling and the length of your stay, but assuming you had all options available to you, and you’re a neutral supporter, I would prioritize the games in this order:

1. Boca-River. The Superclasico of Argentine football, and a unique experience that is worth blowing your budget on. An event you’ll never forget even if you’re not a football fan, and if you are, it’s something akin to Nirvana. Better to see it at Boca’s home ground, the Bombonera, but harder to get tickets.