A trip to Buenos Aires would not be complete without seeing a football match
Buenos Aires is synonymous with football. Not only is it the city with most stadiums per capita in the world and home of the recent world champions, it lives in a constant state of craziness, with an outpouring of passion every weekend when it comes to local football.
The Autonomous City of Buenos Aires and the Metropolitan Area (known as AMBA) are two different things politically, but in day-to-day life they act as one massive football epicentre. A lot of clubs are located in the Metropolitan area, in cities that are not strictly Buenos Aires, but are one, five or 10 miles away. For instance, Racing and Independiente, the clubs that produced Lautaro Martinez and Sergio Aguero, are located in Avellaneda, but people would still refer to them as Buenos Aires Clubs.
Football in Argentina is quite concentrated in this region and almost half of the 28 teams in the First Division are from Buenos Aires or the Metropolitan Area. The game was brought to Argentina by English immigrants and Buenos Aires has always been the heartland of football in the country.
Here GOAL takes you through the ideal Soccer Cities matchday experience in Buenos Aires.
GettyGetting tickets for a game in Buenos Aires
For most of the clubs in Buenos Aires, tourists should be able to get tickets. Go to the club website of whichever team you wish to see a couple of weeks before the game and you should be able to get a ticket. Indeed, for some clubs, it might even be possible to buy tickets the old way: at the box office counter a couple of hours before the game.
For example, if you want to watch Argentinos Juniors, the first club of Diego Maradona, this might be the case, or even if you want to see Racing, Independiente, or San Lorenzo, some of the biggest clubs in the country.
However, for the two main clubs, River Plate and Boca Juniors, things are different. If you want to go to La Bombonera and watch Boca, for example, it might be hard to get tickets. Why? Most of them are sold to members only and a 45,000-seat capacity stadium for such a popular club does not leave much space for the general public. Nevertheless, don't give up hope – it is always worth checking online.
Another option for tourists is to buy a package from a tourist agency which includes ticket, transportation and accommodation. But be mindful that it will be a more expensive route.
For River Plate it’s more or less the same as Boca: most of the tickets are reserved for members. What they do have though is something called “Somos River”, a special kind of membership which covers tickets only that anyone can apply for (note here that a “member” in Argentina means that they get to use all the club’s services, swimming pools, lounges, school, other sports, etc.).
On the plus side, River's stadium, El Monumental, hosts 85,000 people, so your chances of securing a place might be higher.
One thing to remember is that in Argentina the stands behind the goals are normally terracing. That’s where you will experience the best atmosphere and where tickets will be cheaper. Be prepared to have your view partially blocked, though, since there will be loads of flags, and be careful when the home team score!
AdvertisementGettyWhat to do in Buenos Aires
On the morning of the game, definitely take some time to visit some of the must-see places in Buenos Aires. If you’re going to see Boca Juniors, go to Caminito, the picturesque, colourful neighbourhood where La Bombonera is located. There are tango shows, lovely food and a lot of culture. This areas was one of the first places where Italian immigrants arrived in Argentina.
On your way there you could also to go Casa Rosada (President’s House), the Obelisco and the 9 de Julio (the widest avenue in the world). Why not take a walk in San Telmo? It is one of the oldest and most typical neighbourhoods in the city, full of restaurants, shops and unique architecture.
If you fancy a bit of quiet time before. amatch, you can go to Parque Tres de Febrero (also called Bosques de Palermo), the biggest park in the city, which is also close to Palermo and Recoleta, two of the most plush neighbourhoods in the city.
If you are going to watch River Plate and love to stretch your legs, you can go all the way from the beautiful Facultad de Derecho building to the stadium. It’s a really rewarding walk.
If you’re going to any other stadium, your best bet is to get yourself to any of the squares and parks near the ground. They come alive on weekends and they’re normally full of the typical cafes from Buenos Aires, where you can get a coffee and croissants (called “medialunas” in Argentina, Spanish for half-moon).
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Unlike other places, soccer fans in Argentina tend to get inside the stadiums at least two hours before kick-off. Police and security controls can sometimes slow things down, but supporters like to be early to chant and “warm up” their teams.
Normally, there’s a perimeter of around 500 metres around the stadiums where the roads are blocked to the traffic, and that’s where fans take the streets to get some drinks.
You can have a beer or Fernet, the Argentines’ favourite, a herb liquor that is mixed with coke, normally prepared in a plastic bottle cut in half so it’s easy to carry around.
For food, there are two options. One is to go to some classic restaurant around the stadium. The most popular options are pizzerias, where you can have pizza the Argentinian way: thicker dough and a lot of cheese, either whole or by the slice.
You can also go to a “parilla”, Spanish for grill, where you can get some famous Argentine beef. The best options would be bondiola sandwich (pork belly), vac sandwich (flank) or choripán (a thick sausage made mainly with pork, served as a sandwich). All these sandwiches are made with baguette, normally grilled as well. Don’t forget your chimichurri sauce (oil with spices) or criolla sauce (oil with bits of pepper and onion)!
GettyHow to get to the stadium
Public transport in Buenos Aires is great and really cheap, especially in the city. You can take a train, tube or bus anywhere you go.
Buses and the tube normally run every three minutes in the city, even on weekends. If you take a bus and it’s around three hours before the game, you might come across groups of fans going to the stadium, chanting in the bus.
La Bombonera mapEl Monumental map
You can usually find good directions to the stadiums on Google Maps.
GettyWhat to wear to a game
Summer in Buenos Aires is hot, and winter is cold.
From September to April, you might be all right wearing shorts, some comfortable sports shoes and just a shirt. Bring a light jacket if the game happens at night, and a cap if it’s during the day.
Some clubs have their stores open on the day of the games so you might be able to get some nice merchandise from there.
In the winter it does get cold, so bring a big jacket and a light one underneath, just in case you go to the standing locations, where it can get busy and hot. A hat and gloves would also be advised!
Check out some of the best retro football jerseys to buy here
Head to Vintage Football Shirts for some classic Argentina kits