A Period of Oppression

White doves ascended into the sky from the Estadio Mundial in Buenos Aires, as the opening ceremony of the 1978 FIFA World Cup commenced. Less than a mile away, at the country’s most notorious place of torture, the Navy Superior Mechanics School, or ESMA by its Spanish acronym, thousands of kidnapped Argentinians were imprisoned. Both the torture and the World Cup were organized by the military dictatorship under the Proceso de Reorganización  Nacional (PRN), known as the junta. Citizens suspected of political dissent were regularly abducted, imprisoned, or killed by the regime, totaling between 15,000-30,000 throughout the so-called Dirty War that lasted for seven years  The junta only sentenced 356 cases in court on grounds of political violence and dissidents, despite claiming there were 15,000 subversive, trained killers. Many of the victims were young adults, including pregnant women, resulting in 500 children born across 340 concentration camps. Babies were kidnapped and then adopted by families with ties to the junta, with no knowledge or documentation of their original kin. The years between 1976 and 1983 were marred by oppression, torture, violence, and grief for the nation.

Preparation for the World Cup

Argentina was named the host country of the 1978 World Cup in 1966.  Notably, this awarding of the World Cup occurred two years prior to the coup d’état that swept the junta to power. The World Cup took place from June 1 – June 25, 1978. Amidst the international controversy and calls for boycotts against allowing the tournament to continue under a dictatorship, the junta established the Ente Autárquico Mundial, or EAM in 1976. The EAM was a governmental committee tasked with executing a pristine and respectable event in order to polish the country’s international image. The EAM proposed a plan to spend the equivalent of $700 million on infrastructure redevelopment. This included  state run television broadcasts, three newly-built and three renovated stadiums, and five new press centers. The junta also hired Burson & Marsteller, an American PR company, at the price of $500,000 to develop a brand and positive messaging for the tournament .

A Display of Unity

These investments -not uncommon amongst host countries of World Cups- were coupled with a nationwide ‘cleanse’ of dissidence. The junta removed dwellers from Buenos Aires’ poorest neighborhoods and forcibly transferred them to the Catemarca desert in the months prior to the event. Analyzing repression tactics used prior to and during the World Cup, a strategic shift in the junta’s activities can be observed. Prior to the World Cup, disappearances of individuals rose to an average of nearly 4 per day throughout the month of May, compared to an average of fewer than 2 per day in April and June. Notably, 30% of state violence occurred during TV broadcasting hours, defined as 12:00 – 22:59. According to data from the Argentine National Commission on the Disappeared, or CONADEP, the year 1984 revealed that the highest concentration of repression could be observed in close geographic proximity to housing provided to international journalists in the months prior to the World Cup. It then dropped off during the tournament itself. After the tournament had concluded, previous trends in forced disappearances and killings resumed.

Shielding International Media

During the World Cup, the junta shifted their approach due to the presence of the international media, football fans from around the world, and FIFA officials. As a means of distraction, an extensive and elaborate social schedule was developed by the EAM for esteemed delegates that included banquets, operas, fashion shows, golf tournaments, and other lavish festivities. The form of repression being used by the junta was also adjusted in order to minimize international scrutiny: Compared to the months leading up to the World Cup, killings of dissidents dropped by nearly half during. By contrast, kidnappings and imprisonment increased as a method of control of the population. This phenomenon was observed particularly strongly in the various host cities (Buenos Aires, Cordoba, Mendoza and others) while other cities across the country seemed immune to the timing of the tournament. Broadcasting hours were seen by the junta to be the most opportune time for impression, with a sharp increase of 60% of the various tactics of repression in May and June. At the same tine the nation was distracted by football, the junta carried out their agenda while displaying a façade of national unity and stability of power.

Suspicions of Fixing Matches

Throughout the tournament, suspicions of match-fixing by the dictatorship arose, although never proven. The one most speculated about was a match between Peru and Argentina. Under the rules at the time, Argentina had to win the match by four goals in order to advance since the two sides had recently drawn 0-0 in a previous match. In the end, the score was 6-0 in favor of the hosts. Even though it remains unconfirmed whether their opponents were bribed, one million tons of grain were shipped to Peru and a $50m credit line unfrozen between the two countries’ central banks just shortly before kick-off. Victorious, Argentina advanced to the final.

The Cost of Victory

The host country, led by coach Cesar Luis Menotti, rose to triumph upon defeating The Netherlands in the final by 3-to-1. In front of 80,000 spectators in the Buenos Aires stadium of the River Plate, the football-obsessed country was jubilant and celebrated amidst the dark political times. Argentina had secured their first-ever World Cup win. Osvaldo Ardiles, a starting center midfielder for Argentina, reflected on the team’s role as a political pawn for the junta’s rule: “But we weren’t politically involved at all. We were just football players,” claimed the player. “And Argentina being champions, maybe it was a little bit of happiness in this bad time”.

Ultimately, the World Cup was a successful event for the junta, showcasing their ideal version of the country to the world. It strengthened the junta’s prowess and countered international assertions of domestic human rights violations for the time being. Gracielo Daleo, a prisoner of ESMA throughout the tournament, knew, “If they won, we lost.” The junta would remain in power until 1983.