ARGENTINA
Football at the end of the world
Venture far enough, way down from Buenos Aires, Cordoba, Rosario and the other major Argentinian cities, and you’ll reach the end of the world. Or, as some know it, the beginning of everything.
Located near South America’s tip, Ushuaia is the southernmost city on the planet and closer to Antarctica than Argentina’s capital. And those arriving from the country’s north can only get there by crossing the icy waters linking the Pacific and Atlantic oceans through neighbouring Chile.
Argentina’s serene Tierra del Fuego region, around 6,000km from the equator, is home to glacial landscapes, penguin colonies and some of the longest nights on Earth. It doesn’t quite evoke Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi and celebratory Albiceleste fans parading through sun-kissed streets – as they did after the nation’s World Cup triumph last year.
Instead, it’s an outpost – a hinterland and final stop for many visitors. But for
