In Buenos Aires, football is much more than a sport. It is a unique experience where all the characteristics of the porteños are shown. You live with passion and fanaticism. The stadium is called “la cancha” and there, where the match is played, a spectacle also breaks out in the stands.
Little papers, applause, movement of arms accompanying the song, drums and whistling appear. Many talk about love, but other feelings are also awakened. The joy of winning, the euphoria of a goal in the last minute, the anger of losing or the anger for a referee decision.
Everybody in Buenos Aires is fan of a team. As well as name, surname and identity number, the football team is another innate condition. When asked “which is your team?” there will always be an answer. Many choose it because of the neighbourhood they belong to and others because of family ties.
Buenos Aires is the city with the most soccer stadiums in the world. Surely it is also the same in terms of the number of “potreros”, as the little fields that are spontaneously set up in squares and green spaces are known. Use a ball, a level piece of land and four sweaters on the floor to function as two arches. That popular street game called “picado” gave rise to some of the most skilled players in history, such as Diego Maradona or Lionel Messi.
For those who are lucky and coincide on the calendar, the unmissable show is the Superclásico. This is the name of the match between Boca and River, the most popular teams in the country, which face each other at least twice a year. As soon as the referee starts the game, the city comes to a standstill. And inside the field, they begin to vibrate to the rhythm of the ball.
5 tips to live it like a porteño
Discover graffitis:In the vicinity of the field, you will discover the murals and graffiti with the team colours. The clubs have a direct relationship with the neighbourhood and in those colourful streets you can find some of their sense of belonging.
Walk down the street: The tide of people is so great that cars do not circulate and the streets become sidewalks. Grandparents, children, parents with their children, groups of friends or siblings move in the same direction. It is worth stopping and observing the faces to discover how each person in the crowd lives the ritual that is about to begin.
Eat a choripan: A classic in the field is to eat a chorizo with bread at some grill on the go. Nobody calls it that way, since for everyone it is “choripán". In some stadiums, it is also sold inside during half-time.
Learn a song: The inventiveness of the porteño is unique and many of the songs of the moment become great hits on the stands. These adapted versions are sung from the heart as a sign of loyalty to the team.
Shout the goals loudly: In the stands you live intensely and the moment of glory is when the ball enters the goal. You have to inflate your lungs and shout “gooooooooool” as if it were the last cry of your life. Lengthening the “o” and releasing the tension. It is also common to hug the person next to you, even if it is a stranger.