{"id":35392,"date":"2026-06-02T16:57:26","date_gmt":"2026-06-02T16:57:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/02\/soccer-devotion-runs-deep-in-latin-america-ahead-of-the-world-cup\/"},"modified":"2026-06-02T16:57:26","modified_gmt":"2026-06-02T16:57:26","slug":"soccer-devotion-runs-deep-in-latin-america-ahead-of-the-world-cup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/02\/soccer-devotion-runs-deep-in-latin-america-ahead-of-the-world-cup\/","title":{"rendered":"Soccer devotion runs deep in Latin America ahead of the World Cup"},"content":{"rendered":"
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MEXICO CITY (AP) \u2014 The chain that hung from Santiago Garc\u00eda\u2019s neck carried no crosses or saint medals, yet it felt sacred nonetheless.<\/p>\n
When Garc\u00eda\u2019s grandmother fell sick years ago and he visited her in intensive care, the Argentine soccer fan<\/span> took off his beloved Boca Juniors<\/span> necklace and placed it around her neck.<\/p>\n
\u201cBoca will save you,\u201d Garc\u00eda murmured to his grandmother. \u201cAnd it did. So now it\u2019s hers.\u201d<\/p>\n
Garc\u00eda\u2019s faith in his club mirrors that of millions across Latin America as the region prepares for the 2026 World Cup<\/span>. From Argentina<\/span> to Mexico<\/span>, devotion to the game often spills into everyday life, inspiring rituals and beliefs tied to the sport.<\/p>\n
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A cardboard coffin decorated with Boca Juniors\u2019 colors sits next to River Plate flags next to a highway prior to an Argentine league soccer match in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Sunday, April 19, 2026. (AP Photo\/Rodrigo Abd)<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n
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A cardboard coffin decorated with Boca Juniors\u2019 colors sits next to River Plate flags next to a highway prior to an Argentine league soccer match in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Sunday, April 19, 2026. (AP Photo\/Rodrigo Abd)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cThere has been an emotional connection between the public and their soccer teams for a long time,\u201d said Mexican analyst Erick Fern\u00e1ndez. \u201cIt fosters identity and bonds that make us feel part of a sporting process that represents us.\u201d<\/p>\n
In Argentina, the home country of Lionel Messi<\/span>, sports passion is often inherited within families and loyalty to clubs strengthens over time. Pope Francis<\/span> himself \u2014 born in Argentina and lifelong supporter of club San Lorenzo<\/span> \u2014 said he agreed with those describing soccer as the world\u2019s most beautiful game.<\/p>\n
Garc\u00eda\u2019s love for Boca Juniors came from his father. He said his mother used to support another team, but after the couple met, she became a Boca fan too.<\/p>\n
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Ignacio Calle jumps with his prosthetic leg while singing Boca Juniors chants before entering the stadium for an Argentina league soccer match in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Saturday, May 9, 2026. (AP Photo\/Rodrigo Abd)<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n
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Ignacio Calle jumps with his prosthetic leg while singing Boca Juniors chants before entering the stadium for an Argentina league soccer match in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Saturday, May 9, 2026. (AP Photo\/Rodrigo Abd)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cYou usually support your mother\u2019s or father\u2019s club,\u201d Garc\u00eda said. \u201cSoccer is the backbone of it all, but you develop a sense of belonging to a team and carry it with you everywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n
He may have let go of his Boca necklace and the energy he believed it carried, but the club\u2019s imprint was already etched into his skin.<\/p>\n
At age 17, Garc\u00eda tattooed a phrase from the club\u2019s anthem on his torso. Fourteen years later, those words remain as meaningful as they were when the ink was fresh.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt belongs to a song that is like a chant of war for us,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s like saying: \u2018No matter the storm, no matter what happens, we will always be there for you.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
The power of belonging<\/h2>\n
Pope Francis once told a crowd that soccer is a team sport whose beauty comes from its collective spirit. <\/p>\n
Among fans, too, passion is nurtured through a sense of community. The singing of anthems, tears shed after victories or defeats, and the embrace of strangers inside a stadium are experiences that can mirror forms of collective devotion.<\/p>\n
\u201cEach person can support a team, but the sense of togetherness that generates \u2018communitas\u2019 \u2014 a word associated with religion \u2014 is only possible when people gather,\u201d said Argentine anthropologist Elo\u00edsa Mart\u00edn.<\/p>\n
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Chacarita Juniors fans react during an Argentine league against Gimnasia y Tiro in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Sunday, April 12, 2026. (AP Photo\/Rodrigo Abd)<\/figcaption><\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n
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Chacarita Juniors fans react during an Argentine league against Gimnasia y Tiro in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Sunday, April 12, 2026. (AP Photo\/Rodrigo Abd)<\/p>\n
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River Plate fans watch an Argentine soccer league match against San Lorenzo in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Sunday, May 10, 2026. (AP Photo\/Rodrigo Abd)<\/figcaption><\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n
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River Plate fans watch an Argentine soccer league match against San Lorenzo in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Sunday, May 10, 2026. (AP Photo\/Rodrigo Abd)<\/p>\n
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Both negative and positive reactions can emerge from that sense of collective identity. A fan who feels a member of his sporting community has been attacked by a rival may react violently in ways he otherwise never would. But the same dynamic can strengthen solidarity, leading fans to help strangers because they support the same club.<\/p>\n
\u201cSoccer creates a community even for those who lack one,\u201d Mart\u00edn said.<\/p>\n
On a recent night, among a sea of fans heading towards Maracan\u00e3 stadium in Rio de Janeiro was Adilvania Santos. Dressed in the maroon and green colors of Fluminense, the 27-year-old said that supporting the club had helped her through a difficult time in her life.<\/p>\n
\u201cI get emotional talking about Fluminense,\u201d said Santos, who described the passion for her club as the most important aspect of her life, apart from her family. \u201cSome people come together to go to church. For us, accompanying Fluminense is also sacred.\u201d<\/p>\n
Santos tries to attend every game despite living nearly 100 kilometers (about 60 miles) from Rio. When she follows matches from home, she stays alone in her bedroom to avoid interruptions from family members who may not support her team.<\/p>\n
\u201cSoccer deeply moves Brazilians because it creates a sense of belonging, identity and hope,\u201d said Jeferson Mengali, a Catholic priest in the Bragan\u00e7a Paulista diocese and a lifelong fan of Corinthians. \u201cPeople suffer, work hard and face difficulties, and soccer becomes a space for collective joy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rituals for victory<\/h2>\n
Mengali supported Corinthians as a chaplain for years. He celebrated Masses with the team and was present during training sessions and matches.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have always liked praying before important games,\u201d he said. \u201cAsking more for serenity than victory.\u201d<\/p>\n
While not all soccer fans pray, many cling to rituals they believe can influence the outcome of a game. In Argentina these practices are known as \u201cc\u00e1balas.\u201d According to Mart\u00edn, they became widespread during the 1990s.<\/p>\n
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Chacarita Juniors fans hoist a flag from the stands during an Argentine soccer league match against Gimnasia y Tiro in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Sunday, April 12, 2026. (AP Photo\/Rodrigo Abd)<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n
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Chacarita Juniors fans hoist a flag from the stands during an Argentine soccer league match against Gimnasia y Tiro in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Sunday, April 12, 2026. (AP Photo\/Rodrigo Abd)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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River Plate fans gather on a highway prior to an Argentine league match against Boca Juniors in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Sunday, April 19, 2026. (AP Photo\/Rodrigo Abd)<\/figcaption><\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n
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River Plate fans gather on a highway prior to an Argentine league match against Boca Juniors in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Sunday, April 19, 2026. (AP Photo\/Rodrigo Abd)<\/p>\n
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River Plate fans cheer during an Argentine league match against Boca Juniors in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Sunday, April 19, 2026. (AP Photo\/Rodrigo Abd)<\/figcaption><\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n
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River Plate fans cheer during an Argentine league match against Boca Juniors in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Sunday, April 19, 2026. (AP Photo\/Rodrigo Abd)<\/p>\n
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C\u00e1balas vary widely. Fans may drink from the same cup, sit in the exact same spot or wear the same underwear during every match. Others insist on watching games with certain people, while some avoid watching altogether after concluding they bring bad luck to their team.<\/p>\n
Rituals are repeated if the team wins and abandoned if it loses. For some supporters, avoiding a match can even feel like a sacrifice made in hopes of securing victory.<\/p>\n
At Garc\u00eda\u2019s home, his father sits in a specific chair whenever Boca is playing well. If the rival team scores, he changes seats. His mother cleans the house instead of watching the game, stopping every so often to ask about the score.<\/p>\n
Garc\u00eda\u2019s current c\u00e1bala includes wearing the same jersey throughout the season and carrying a small image of Diego Maradona<\/span> everywhere he goes.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter he died, he was rapidly sanctified<\/span> by the people,\u201d Garc\u00eda said. \u201cHe became a figure<\/span> bigger than sports.\u201d<\/p>\n
Saints of the stadium<\/h2>\n
Argentines rarely call him Maradona. He\u2019s simply \u201cEl Diego,\u201d as one would refer to a family member or an old friend from the neighborhood.<\/p>\n
\u201cMaradona is the player, while \u2018El Diego\u2019 is the one people turn to like a family member when they need help,\u201d Mart\u00edn said. \u201cSacredness only works when there\u2019s a community behind it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Legends like \u201cEl Diego\u201d or Brazil\u2019s \u201cThe King\u201d Pel\u00e9<\/span> are recognized across the world. But other soccer fans in Latin America revere personal idols of their own.<\/p>\n
In Chile, H\u00e9ctor Hermosilla keeps a black-and-white portrait of Colo Colo club founder David Arellano at his home.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe founded Colo Colo in 1925 and before every match I always say goodbye to him and ask him to watch over us,\u201d Hermosilla said.<\/p>\n
He still remembers attending his first match in 1986 and falling under the spell of the atmosphere inside the arena. From then on, he faithfully began to follow his team, traveling from Chile\u2019s far north to Puerto Montt, considered the gateway to Patagonia.<\/p>\n
To finance his trips, he and his wife typed out the iconic anthems of Colo Colo and sold photocopies to fans, earning him the nickname \u201cNano Fotocopia.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThere were around 20 songs and I would make photocopies and sell them for 100 pesos,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Typewriters and photocopies became obsolete over time. Hermosilla now sells necklaces, bracelets and other accessories to finance the trips he now does with his wife and teenage son.<\/p>\n
When in Chile, Hermosilla still attends matches every Sunday and performs a ritual he has followed since the 1980s. Beneath Arellano\u2019s portrait, he asks for the club founder\u2019s blessing, packs his products for sale and heads to a roast chicken restaurant where fans gather.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe is like our God,\u201d Hermosilla said. \u201cHe is the one who guides us.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Batschke reported from Santiago, Chile, and Hughes from Rio de Janeiro. <\/p>\n
___<\/p>\n
Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP\u2019s collaboration<\/span> with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n