Most people in Argentina are of Italian descent
Argentina is the most Italian of any country outside of Italy.
Yet, America is our home, the country we love.
Who then should we, Italian Americans, root for in the coming FIFA World Cup?
Most people in Argentina are of Italian descent
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L’Italia è eliminata
Italy didn’t make the cut. The country’s team didn't qualify after they lost to Bosnia and Herzegovina on March 31 in Zenica in a penalty shootout disaster, 4-1.
Giuseppe Rossi, of Passaic, New Jersey, son of Italian immigrants, was supposed to suit up for Team America. Fans saw Rossi as a star player to take America to World Cup victory. However, he chose to play for Italy, instead. He will now have to watch the games on television after Italy’s loss to Bosnia and Hercegovina.
The last time Italy won the World Cup was a 5-3 defeat of France in 2006. Before that, Italy won the international tournament in 1934, 1938, and 1982.
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Giuseppe Rossi, of Passaic, played for Italy instead of America
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Forza Argentina!
The defending FIFA World Cup champion is Argentina. They won the gold trophy after defeating France in Qatar in 2022.
Team Argentina was also a world champion in 1978 and 1986.
The connection between Italy and Argentina runs deep. More than almost any other country outside Europe, Argentina reflects the legacy of Italian immigration. Argentina was the preferred destination for most Italians after the high tax and high regulation policies of post-Risorgimento Italy in the 1870s.
Millions of Italians came to Argentina. The United States only became a viable destination after a cholera epidemic took over much of South America.
Today, it is estimated that nearly half of Argentina’s population has at least some Italian ancestry. Italian surnames are commonplace. Italian influences are found everywhere—in Argentine cuisine, customs, and even in the distinctive accent heard on the streets of Buenos Aires. For many visitors from Italy, parts of Argentina make them feel as though they never left home.
The connection extends to soccer. Many players of Argentina’s national team trace their roots to Italy.
Lionel Messi: Perhaps the world’s greatest living player, his ancestors hail from the regions of Marche and Liguria. He will take the position of forward for Team Argentina.
Gabriel Batistuta: His ancestors emigrated from Udine, in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region. He holds dual citizenship with Italy. He will play striker for Team Argentina.
Javier Zanetti: His family originally came to Chile from Italy but subsequently resettled in Argentina. Their Italian roots extend to the regions of Lombardia, Veneto, and Emilia-Romagna. Defensive midfielder is his position for Team Argentina.
Ángel Di Maria: Playing the winger position for Argentina, Ángel holds dual citizenship with Italy. Where did his ancestors emigrate from is not known, yet, rumors are that his family is Sicilian.
Mauro Icardi: His ancestors emigrated from Torre Mondovi, the province of Cuneo in the region of Piemonte. He plays striker for Team Argentina.
Paulo Dybala: His mother’s family came from Da Messa, a village near Naples. Second striker is the position he will play for Team Argentina.
Countless other Argentine stars have carried Italian surnames onto the world’s biggest stage.
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Lionel Messi, top, and Javier Zanetti, are two of many players of Team Argentine who are the descendants of Italian immigrants
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America, facci onore!
When it comes to soccer in America, there’s good news and bad news.
The sport increases in popularity, played in parks throughout the country on a daily basis. That’s the good news. The bad news is soccer still lags in prominence behind all major U.S. sports such as football, baseball, basketball, and hockey.
The best America did in World Cup competition was the first year of the international tournament. That was in 1930. America made it to the semifinals but lost to Argentina 6-1. Since then, America has gotten as far as the quarterfinals—in 2002—but lost to Mexico 2-0 when the games were played in South Korea and Japan.
This year, Team America enjoys brighter prospects with a roster of outstanding players, two of whom are of Italian ethnicity:
Christian Pulistic: The team captain, who plays winger, speaks proudly of his Italian heritage. His grandmother Johana DiStefano came from Sicily.
Gianluca Busio: His father is an immigrant from Brescia, a city in the Lombardia region. He holds dual citizenship with Italy.
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Christian Pulistic, of Sicilian descent, plays for America
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Who’s Favored?
Out of some 48 national teams playing in this year’s FIFA World Cup, Argentina ranks fourth, behind Spain, France, and England. The United States is ranked 17th.
Spain is favored to win the tournament by most odd makers. Argentina is seen as a top contender although their best players are aging veterans of the game.
The soccer fortunes of Italy and Argentina have often been intertwined. When the Azzurri are absent, many find themselves drawn to Argentina, a nation largely shaped by Italian immigrants.
Perhaps that is why some fans jokingly refer to Argentina as “Italy’s team in exile.” The phrase may be playful, but it contains a measure of truth. The story of Argentina is, in part, an Italian story as well.
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Giochiamo a pallone!
Among the teams of Group J, Argentina will play Algeria on June 16 in Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. They will then play Austria on June 22 at AT&T Stadium in Dallas. Argentina will remain in Dallas to play Jordan on June 27.
The United States team belongs to Group D. They will play Paraguay at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles—11:00 PM EDT—on Friday, June 12. They will then travel to Seattle to play Australia on Friday, June 19 at Lumen Field. The United States team will return to Los Angeles to play Turkey at SoFi Stadium on Thursday, June 25.
The games will be telecast live on Fox and Telemundo.
Hooray for America! ¡Vamos Argentina! Viva l’Italia!
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Editor's Note:
The web site for FIFA is: https://www.fifa.com/en
The web site for Team Argentina is: https://www.storeafa.com/en/
To find out more about the US Soccer team, please log on to their website at: https://www.ussoccer.com/teams/usmnt
To watch the games on Fox, please log on to: https://www.fox.com/soccer/fifa-world-cup. For Telemundo, please log on to: https://www.livesoccertv.com/channels/telemundo/
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