Quote: “Although as a crime, match fixing doesn’t compare to the torture and murder committed by the ruling junta, Argentina may have rigged a crucial victory over Peru…”
This quote from Wright Thompson’s article While The World Watched is a perfect overview at the lengths at which the military-ran government of Argentina was willing to go to preserve their imagine and power at the 1978 World Cup. Argentina was dedicated to keeping their true state under wraps during this World Cup. Soccer was the face of Argentina and even through vast unrest the government sought to keep this thought in place
The military ensured that prior to the first kick in Argentina that the enemies of the government to ensure the show of control the military had over its government. In this attempt to show Argentinas national success outside the game of football, the government slaughtered tortured its citizens. This dictatorship was more concerned with pleasing the outside world and giving off the appearance that they had put their political turmoil of past years behind them. Internally, the country had never been more divided. The Dirty Wars ravished the people of Argentina into a state of complete torture. The fact that the World Cup was held at a time and place is mind-boggling to me. There must have been some sort of knowledge of what was going on and if so, how come the teams participating in the World Cup played with no issue of the terrorism surrounding the games.
The control sought after from the Argentinian government also calls into question the results of the games. With such efforts to destroy and control their own citizens, it would be easy to see how these actions would soil the clarity of Argentinas World Cup title. The Dirty Wars caused such a corrupt system in Argentina that not even the sacred game of soccer was safe. Even in a time of turmoil, there was no clear victory to celebrate for the Argentinian citizens who had no escape from their governments oppression.
The 1978 World Cup is more reflective of the Dirty Wars than anything. To outsiders, everything seemed well under control just as the Argentinian Dictatorship wanted. However, the truth of the matter was dastardly and horrid. The people were suffering while their team was succeeding. The Argentinian title will forever be a deep wound for the Argentinian citizens who suffered great agony during the games. This perhaps, is the one World Cup victory that the soccer-crazed Argentinean people wish that they could forgot and erase from history.
