FOOTBALL AND PATRIOTISM IN SOUTH AMERICA: BETWEEN THE ELITE AND CIVIL SOCIETY

Football in South American societies became a community pillar over the twentieth century, against the backdrop of nation building processes characterized by social inequalities. In this context, both elites and civil society made use of football's original patriotic influence in distinctive ways. Thus, through a historical analysis of three sporting events - the 1978 World Cup in Argentina, the 1980 'Mundialito' in Uruguay, and the protests that took place during the 2013 Confederations Cup in Brazil - this article looks at the different ways in which football is used by the ruling governments and the citizens; namely a hegemonic use by the elite and a contra-hegemonic usage by the civil society. In this manner, the conclusions allow to banish the persistent beliefs about the one-sided hegemonic character of the sport phenomenon and highlight the transformative evolution reflected in football events. Similarly, the sociological approach to sport in South America leads to conclude the conflictual nature of contemporary societies.