Mauricio Macri: 'Football is our entire national identity'

Former Argentine President and long-time Boca Juniors chief Mauricio Macri has shared his insights into the profound role football plays in his country. He describes the sport as an absolute passion into which Argentines pour their entire national identity.

Macri, who currently leads the FIFA Foundation, notes that football functions as a new religion in Argentina. He emphasized that his sporting success was instrumental in his political career, allowing him to forge a lasting connection with the Argentine people.

Football is where we put our entire national identity, for better or for worse. When Boca plays, when River Plate plays, or when the national team plays, the streets are empty. Mauricio Macri

Reflecting on iconic figures, Macri highlighted the impact of Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona. He noted that Messi's humble and serious leadership has made him a global icon. In his view, no other country has possessed the two greatest players in history within a hundred-year span, as Argentina has.

Macri also touched upon the intersection of sport and politics, suggesting that while populist movements have often sought to claim Maradona, Messi has consciously remained distant from such behaviors, partly due to his upbringing in Europe.