From Moore to Messi

A History of the Argentine National Football Team 1902-2026

From Moore to Messi is the fascinating story of the Argentine national football team, and how it became a major symbol of national identity for the people of Argentina. From its first international in 1902 with a side largely of British and Irish origin to the World Cup wins of 1978, 1986 and 2024, it charts all the highs and lows.

From Moore to Messi is the fascinating story of the Argentine national football team, and how it became a major symbol of national identity for the people of Argentina. You’ll learn about the team’s British and Irish roots at the turn of the 1900s, and how it soon included Italian and other immigrants, helping to forge a new distinctive Criollo identity through football. The book examines everything from how the team became a political tool under Juan Perón and various military dictatorships to the Argentine women’s team’s long struggle for recognition. Discover the mavericks who shone for Argentina in the pre-Maradona days, such as Harry Hayes, José Manuel Moreno and Oreste Corbatta. And find out about the national team’s lesser-known stories, including the player who died twice and the ‘ghost squad’ of unknowns abandoned for weeks in the Andes. The book concludes with a look at how La Scaloneta was constructed to help Lionel Messi finally become a world champion and build a team that the Argentine people could fall in love with again.

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