Football was introduced to Buenos Aires by British sailors in the 1860s, and by the end of the nineteenth century, amateur clubs had begun to spring up. In 1930, Argentina reached the first World Cup Final, before losing to the hosts, Uruguay, but with interest in the game booming, the domestic game turned professional in the following year. On the international stage, rivalry is hottest with Brazil. Argentina has twice won the World Cup : at home in 1978, and in Mexico in 1986. The 1978 World Cup was the most controversial of the competition's history: awarded during Isabel Perón's presidency, it became a political hostage of the country's military dictatorship, who saw in the tournament an opportunity to unite a riven nation and to demonstrate to the world the success of their regime. Money that was sorely needed for other projects (some $700 million) was spent on new stadiums and infrastructure projects, political opponents were rounded up, and despite growing international concern over human rights abuses, FIFA refused to change the venue. Argentina won the cup after a 3-1 victory over the Netherlands, among widespread reports that the Peruvian team was bribed to throw the match that led to Argentina reaching the final ahead of Brazil.

The domestic football scene is dominated by two colossi, River Plate and Boca Juniors . Both teams originated in the poor port area of Buenos Aires' La Boca, but have little else in common other than a shared hatred. Class divisions accentuate this rivalry. River Plate, founded by Englishmen in 1901, moved from La Boca to the more affluent area of Palermo in the north of the city, and it is traditionally the team of better-off Porteños. The team's kit is white with a diagonal red band, and their stadium, known as the Monumental or the Gallinera (Cock Pit), was the venue for the 1978 World Cup Final. Fans of Boca Juniors' (founded in 1905) are nicknamed the Xeneizes, which derives from the fact that the core of the club's early support came from Genovese immigrants, and the team has stuck loyally to its working-class roots. Their cauldron of a stadium, the Bombonera, is in the heart of La Boca, blocks away from El Caminito tourist street. The clash of these two arch rivals, known as the superclásico , is viewed with quasi-religious fervour and is given saturation coverage by the nation's media, both in the days leading up to the game and for the post-mortem afterwards. Neither team is completely satisfied about winning the championship if the season has been blighted by a defeat in the superclásico .

Boca are also notorious for their barra brava . Every team has a barra brava - organized mobs of fanatical supporters that are "sponsored" by the club with free tickets and transport to games. The barras have attracted fierce criticism in the press for their involvement in extortion rackets, drug dealing and political intimidation, and businessmen and corrupt politicos have been known to employ the barras as their hired heavies. Sporadic attempts at clamping down on the barras have had mixed success, but one significant prosecution resulted in José "The Grandfather" Barritta, a shady mafioso godfather figure who ran Boca's gang, being imprisoned for his role in the murder of two River fans in 1994.

Other important teams in the capital are Vélez Sarsfield; San Lorenzo, a team that has a nominal alliance with La Boca against River Plate and plays at the Nuevo Gasómetro Stadium; and Racing Club , who play in the deprived southern barrio of Avellaneda. Ignore the stench from the Riachuelo and head there to witness the extraordinary devotion of their fans, or hinchada (nicknamed the Guarda Imperial ), universally acclaimed as the most fanatical of all, despite their team's lack of success on the field over the last thirty years and numerous recent brushes with bankruptcy. Win or lose, the singing here is unbeatable. The strident antipathy that exists between Racing and local derby rivals, Independiente , comes close to the more famous feud between River and Boca. The city of Rosario has a similarly bitter clash, between Rosario Central (whose supporters are pejoratively known as Los Canallas - "riff-raff") and Newell's Old Boys (whose fans are called Leprosos - lepers). The only other cities that are represented by teams in the first division are Córdoba and La Plata.

If you can, be in Buenos Aires on a date that coincides with a crucial fixture for the national team: this is the best time to experience the full fervour of Argentina's passion for the game and, should the result go the right way, head to the Obelisco on Avenida 9 de Julio - the magnet for communal celebrations . Likewise, the Obelisco is the point of ritual homage for supporters of domestic clubs after league or cup success. Spectating at a domestic game can be an incredibly exciting experience. At present, the domestic footballing year is split into two separate championships: the opening one ( Apertura ), which is settled in December, and the closing championship ( Clausura ), which picks up after the summer recess and lasts until June. In January, some of the major teams from the capital decamp to Mar del Plata to play in a minor summer tournament. Seats ( platea ) at games cost about $20, but you'll get much more atmosphere on the terraces ( popular ; $10), though you should be aware that celebrations can get very rowdy: stand just in front of one of the crowd-control barriers so as not to get bowled over by the inevitable surge that follows a goal, and cede the very centre of the terrace behind the goal to the hard-core hinchada . Problems with crowd control are evidenced by the towering fences that surround most pitches. Also be aware that policing at the bigger games can get very heavy-handed: you may well be charged on horseback or baton-charged, so stay alert to avoid potential trouble spots.