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Lionel Messi Immortalises Legacy By Winning Argentina’s ‘Cup Of Joy’

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  In a sport that produces superstars every year, what does it take to get immortalised as one of the greats for posterity? The answer could be very simple and yet quite complicated. In today’s day and age, when every move and tackle made, every pass completed and every goal scored makes it to the handsets of millions of football fans within seconds. It sure could be easy to become popular in the world’s most popular sport. Football is a passion for millions across the globe and players are adored and loathed for their performances in club football every week. Yet, it is their performance for the national team, especially in the FIFA World Cup, that gets them a ticket to the Hall Of Fame. Over the years, there have been several stars who have produced greatness on the greens, from Alfredo de Stefano to Johan Cryuff, Ferenc Puskas to Lev Yashin, Zico to Michel Platini, there are a plethora of names that one can recount. But when it comes to the list of the greatest of them all, the...

Argentina And Football: Five Keys To A National Passion

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  Argentina’s passion for football has been showcased by the passion of chanting Argentine supporters inside stadiums at the Qatar World Cup and the almost hysterical celebrations back at home. Ahead of Sunday’s World Cup final in Doha against France, here are five keys to understanding Argentina’s almost unique relationship with the sport: When football became futbolArgentina’s AFA football association, created in 1893, proudly proclaims that it “is the oldest in South America and eighth oldest in the world.” Football arrived in the country with British immigrants, many of whom came to work on the railroads and who were dubbed “the crazy English” when they started kicking around a ball during their breaks. A Scottish teacher, Alexander Watson Hutton, is considered the “father” of Argentine football having introduced the sport into physical education classes at the schools where he taught. He was also AFA’s first president. British railway workers soon started founding football c...