Some of our favourite Latin Routes destinations – Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Ecuador and Costa Rica – are competing in this year’s winter World Cup, which starts this weekend when the Ecuadorians kick off the footballing festivities on Sunday against Qatar! We take a look at each country’s rich sporting history and some of the fútbol related things you can experience when visiting these football-mad nations.
Fútbol – or futebol as it’s known in Brazil – represents one of the most popular cultural institutions in Latin America. Whether played in a 100,000-capacity stadium or in the streets of the barrio, it’s a sport that brings together millions of obsessed fans across the continent. This level of enthusiasm has often been transferred to their national team’s World Cup success rate over the eras, with Argentina (2), Uruguay (2), and Brazil (5) lifting the cup nine times in total combined.
20th-century legends such as Argentina’s Di Stéfano, Kempes, and Maradona, plus Brazil’s Pelé, Garrincha, Zico and Romario, all helped establish a fanatical following of the game around the world, as have the dazzling displays of modern stars such as Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Neymar, and Messi, with the latter pair each vying to win this year’s trophy to cement their own legacies.
Let’s take a closer look at those Latin teams competing in this World Cup, as well as some of the sporting venues and places you can visit on your next exciting holiday to South America.
As reigning South American Copa champions, La Selección will be setting their sights high for this World Cup – one which is set to be captain Leo Messi’s last hurrah. It remains the one trophy that has eluded their maestro over his decorated career, and one which has not been enjoyed by Argentines as winners since Maradona’s infamous glory in 1986. Can the boy from Rosario help write a new chapter in Argentina’s history this year?
El Monumental is the country’s national stadium and one you can visit on a trip through Buenos Aires. Its also the home of the city’s famous club River Plate, as well as being used for many important sporting events. If you are planning to visit the city you could aim to catch a River v Boca Superclassico match, described by the Observer as “the most intense sporting experience in the world”.
The colourful La Boca neighbourhood of the Argentine capital is another recommended place to visit, with its vibrant painted streets, restaurants, and bars making it the ideal place to spend some time soaking up the local culture. The street art is very photogenic and you will of course see Maradona murals dotted all around the city.
This area is also the home of Maradona’s former club Boca Juniors who play at La Bombonera – the Chocolate Box – a nickname based on its shape with one side being built flat due to limited available space. This raucous amphitheater is another of the nation’s venues that are well worth getting match tickets to, or perhaps just enjoying a stadium tour.
The Seleção are the most decorated country in the competition and are gunning for their first win in twenty years this time around. Whatever happens, they always light up proceedings with their colour and flamboyance, and any trip to Brazil will likely be similarly framed by the people’s passion for the beautiful game.
Brazil, as well as Flamengo and Fluminense, play at the Maracanã based in Rio de Janeiro, which was built to serve as the flagship venue for the 1950 World Cup. It was meant to be the biggest football stadium in the world at the time and the official attendance for the final was around 173,000 paying spectators, but it is estimated that more than 200,000 witnessed the game live from the stands!
In Sao Paolo, you will be able to visit the amazing Estádio Municipal Paulo Machado de Carvalho, aka Estádio do Pacaembu, which is an Art Deco stadium that also houses the Museu do Futebol (Football Museum), designed to be a shrine for all fans with memorabilia from both Brazilian and world footballing history.
Uruguay were winners of the first World Cup back in 1930, and are always a tough team to face for any side, so we can probably expect them to spring a surprise or two this year as well.
They play at the Estadio Centenario, a stadium in the Parque Batlle of Montevideo which was built to host the inaugural 1930 World Cup, and its construction is considered one of the most important stages in the development of South American football. The name originates from the hundred-year celebration of the first Uruguayan Constitution, and in 1983 it was declared by FIFA as the first Historical Monument of World Football – to this day the only building to achieve this recognition worldwide.
Ecuadorians are celebrating qualifying this time around and all eyes will be on La Tri’s tournament opener against hosts Qatar. Ecuador plays at the Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa in their capital of Quito, but the stadium is set to be replaced by a newer venue in preparation for the 2024 Copa América. The Complejo Urbano Atahualpa project is set to cost over £150m to develop.
There are many natural beauty spots in Costa Rica that visitors flock to get the most from their stay, but one of the man-made eye-catchers is the modern-looking National Stadium, which opened in 2011. Located in the capital San José in La Sabana Metropolitan Park, it’s a venue that hosts both football games and concerts for tourists to enjoy its buzzing atmosphere.
Ready to book your trip to Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Ecuador or Costa Rica? Get in touch with one of our travel specialists today on 0208 546 6222, or complete the enquiry form to get in touch.
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