{"id":208,"date":"2026-03-08T10:23:01","date_gmt":"2026-03-08T10:23:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/faithball.eu\/index.php\/home\/"},"modified":"2026-05-05T10:15:43","modified_gmt":"2026-05-05T10:15:43","slug":"home","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/faithball.eu\/","title":{"rendered":"Home"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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FAITHBALL<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Narratives, Myths, and Religious Rituals in Football under the Franco Regime and the Shifting Powers in Argentina (1939-1976)<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCheck Our CORDIS EU Page<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Football has always been more than a game.<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\u00a0In mid-20th-century Spain and Argentina, it became a mirror of politics, identity, and belief.
FAITHBALL\u00a0investigates how football functioned as a space of\u00a0myth-making, ritual, and political communication\u00a0during the Franco regime in Spain and the shifting powers in Argentina (1939\u20131976).
Through an interdisciplinary approach, the project explores how football was used to construct national narratives, inspire collective emotions, and shape ideas of belonging on both sides of the Atlantic.
By examining\u00a0rituals, symbols, media discourses, and international football diplomacy, FAITHBALL reveals how stadiums, newspapers, and broadcasts became stages for political storytelling.
Coordinated by the\u00a0University of Modena and Reggio Emilia (Italy), in collaboration with the\u00a0University of Buenos Aires (Argentina)\u00a0and the\u00a0University of Bristol (United Kingdom), FAITHBALL bridges continents, disciplines, and generations to understand how football became one of the most powerful cultural languages of the modern world.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMore about Us<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tKeep scrolling on Faithball.eu\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tKeep scrolling on Faithball.eu\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Faithball Research Objetives<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFootball as Diplomacy\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\tAnalyse how in Spain and Argentina football has been a tool of propaganda, soft power, and international diplomacy between 1939 and 1976.\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tNarratives & National Identity\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\tExamine how media coverage, rituals, and match-day narratives shaped national identities in both countries during the Francoist and Peronist eras.\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRituals, Myth, and Collective Belief\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\tInvestigate the ritualistic, symbolic, and semi\u2011religious dimensions of football fandom, revealing how the sport fostered cohesion and collective meaning.\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCentre\u2013Periphery Dynamics\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\tExplore how football reinforced or challenged regional identities, focusing on the central roles of Madrid and Buenos Aires in national sporting cultures.\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\tFaithball Sources<\/span>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\"IMG_1001<\/figure><\/div>
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\"Screenshot<\/figure><\/div>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\tGreat books you should read<\/span>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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As part of the project\u2019s evolving bibliography, here you have a selection of books that are essential for understanding the intersections of football, identity, and transnational discourse. Each title reflects a different perspective\u2014ranging from historical analyses to contemporary reflections\u2014offering readers a multifaceted entry point into the themes that shape our research. By highlighting these works, I aim to foster dialogue, encourage comparative approaches, and provide a foundation for further exploration.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCheck Our Bibliography on Zotero.com<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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By Julio Frydenberg<\/a><\/h3>

A foundational study of how football became a mass social practice in Argentina, shaped by class dynamics and popular culture.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLearn More<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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By J.A. Sim\u00f3n<\/h3>

An examination of how the Franco regime used football for diplomacy, propaganda, and international legitimacy. <\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLearn More<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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By Pablo Alabarces<\/h3>

A sharp analysis of how football narratives helped construct national identity in Argentina. <\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLearn More<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tWrite to us if you're interested\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

FAITHBALL Narratives, Myths, and Religious Rituals in Football under the Franco Regime and the Shifting Powers in Argentina (1939-1976) Check Our CORDIS EU Page Football has always been more than a game. \u00a0In mid-20th-century Spain and Argentina, it became a mirror of politics, identity, and belief.FAITHBALL\u00a0investigates how football functioned as a space of\u00a0myth-making, ritual, and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-208","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\nHome - Faithball.eu<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/faithball.eu\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Home - 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