Argentina’s government has introduced football as a topic of ideological dispute during a financial crisis that jeopardizes the existence of numerous clubs. President Javier Milei suggests cutting state funding and inviting private investment into clubs. This proposal places football, a fundamental aspect of Argentine identity, at the center of conflicting ideologies.

According to Milei, such measures are necessary, but fans, club officials, and the Argentine Football Association (AFA) worry that their organizations may lose their social and community functions or cease to exist without state backing, considering the many young players from small clubs who have become international superstars.