Golden Eggs | Argentine football has run a trade surplus for a decade

Argentine football has exported players for 1,515 million dollars in the last ten years, against imports for 675 million. According to official records, the balance was in favor of the country at $840 million. Argentina is in the top 3 exporting countries with 815 footballers currently playing abroad.

The influence of this product internationally should also be measured in intangible assets such as the attraction of tourists who come to spend dollars in national courts, the “capitalization” of the fame of Maradona, Messi or others. Or the satisfaction of facilitating practices with others in the world or imposing a style of chants to motivate teams on the planet’s most diverse grounds.

All these contribute to Argentina being a force in football, to play in major leagues in the global sports and entertainment industry. What sets it apart is the skill of its players and the passion it arouses in large numbers. And for the businesses it allows to operate.

Huge sale

The ranking of sales of Argentine players abroad is headed by Lautaro Martínez, who ranks 9th in the national team.Moved from Racing to Inter Milan in 2017 for €25 million. Three other members of Scaloneta are in the core team: Enzo Fernandezwho moved from Benfica River in Portugal for €18 million this year; Julian AlvarezA former River transfer to Manchester City for €17 million, and Exequiel PalaciosAnother from the academy is Marcelo Gallardo who went to play for Bayer Leverkusen in 2019 for €17 million.

Sergio Aguero21.7 million euros from Independiente to Atletico de Madrid in 2006; Paul Aimer21.2 million from the river to Valencia; Javier Saviola 20.8 million from the river to Barcelona; Walter Samuel 20.8 million from Boca to Roma; Lucas Alario 19 million from the river to Bayer Leverkusen and Who is Paneka? 18 million people from Boca to Valencia rounded out the top 10.

As stated in the beginning, Argentine soccer has been surplus in terms of dollars for at least a decade. Foreign sales in 2012 were 52.9 million, of which 12.5 million were purchased, the remaining 40.4 million. Since then, the surplus has been increasing: 42.2 million in 2013; 66.8 million in 2014; 75.8 million in 2015; 107.7 million in 2016; 81.3 million in 2017; 126.4 million in 2018; 144.5 million in 2019; 77.8 million in 2020; 66.1 million in 2021, and 12.3 million as calculated by the central bank till May this year.

From the grassroots to the elite

The role of the state is fundamental to the development of the football export industry. “In Argentina there is a historical debate between those who try to impose public limited institutions instead of social clubs, sports and football in general, and those who consider this activity part of the development. The right of access to physical activity for all citizens, from there to the level of sports training for those who start to practice in clubs that stand alone, from that quarry. Get high-performance athletes for national teams and international figures,” explains Claudio Morresi, Buenos Aires legislator of the Frente de Todos, former sports secretary and former soccer player.

Evita Games was created in 1948 and was a pioneer in this dispute over who could play the game., during the first Peronist government, with the decisive intervention of Eva Peron and Health Minister Ramon Carrillo. For the first time, women and children from all over the country were included in these practices and underwent medical examinations for their health care.

“Sports is another tool for the social development of a people. Evita and Carrillo saw it clearly and sought its company. Sport and physical activity should be considered a right that every person has, and states have an obligation to guarantee access to these rights,” Moresi adds.

In recent years, The governments of Nestor and Christina Kirchner took those Peronist flags to the Games. In 2009, legislation was approved that created the National Institute for High Performance Sports (Enard), funded by the community itself with a contribution of 1 percent of cell phone bills. This ethos was the basis for the provision of scholarships and public investment in sport.

The Evita games were also resumed, and were a forceful accompaniment to the neighborhood clubs.

Maurizio MacriBoca’s leadership meant that analysis of no topic had more resources than football opinions, and he began his political career with a springboard. Abolished 1 percent cell phone tax in December 2017. This resulted in severe devaluation of Enard.

The current administration increased the budget for the sports sector this year by 189 percent from 1,225 million to 3,923 million pesos. However, Enard failed to re-establish the tax on financing.

Football for everyone

Another thing Macri did was cancel football for everyone, with a promise to build 3,000 kindergartens with these resources. However, there were no gardens and popular fields lost the free broadcast of the Argentine championship matches, which were privatized again.

“Public awareness campaigns carried out by Fútbol para Todos were a complete success. “Gender violence, the fight against drugs, vaccination, price plans, health plans, every organization that advertised, the calls from the public increased fivefold,” recalls Moresi. “More children should play sports,” he adds.

Soccer for All is a federal program. Current broadcasts by private channels that have received concessions do not send reporters and commentators to parties in the provinces or broadcast social or cultural events there like a state programme.

The current government was able to give ESPN only two games per date for the general public, which were not very important, while the macrismo-heavy TNT refused to drop those two games.

According to the CIES Football Laboratory, Argentina ranks third in the ranking of exporters of footballers with 815 players. First is Brazil, 1,129, and second is France, 978. Also lagging behind are England (525), Germany (441), Colombia (425), Spain (409), Croatia (400), Serbia (379), and the Netherlands. (367) and Uruguay (340).

All the democratized access to a unique cultural event in Argentina and expanded the base of a national industry and game that exports to the world.. That’s why I have to go back.