Miami – The city of Miami It continues to consolidate as one of the epicenters of international football. This week, it was the turn of Argentina: The world champion coach, Lionel Scalonihe arrived in the city as a central figure of an institutional event organized by the Argentine Football Association (AFA)within the framework of its ambitious global expansion strategy.
During his presentation, Scaloni shared his vision of sports leadership, the evolution of the Argentine National Team after the World Cup in Qatar and the future of the Albiceleste team. “We have a group of players who give the maximum, who are provided and, above all things, are good people. They are like us in the end, fans who are playing for their selection,” said the coach, who was cheered by an auditorium full of fans, media and representatives of the Latin football community in the US.
Scaloni also referred to the commitment and maturity of the squad to face each challenge with the same seriousness, regardless of the rival:
“It is not difficult for us, when a call arrives, making them understand that now touches Chile or Colombia and that we have to try to play in the same way we did against Uruguay or Brazil. We have a base that has been coming for a long time, and those who are coupling are boys who arrive from youth, their sub-20, of their U17, with an idea already formed,” he explained.
The event, which included a tango show, Freestyle de Fútbol and an Argentine gastronomy experience, reaffirmed the cultural connection between the South American country and the growing American sports market. Leandro Petersen, commercial director of AFA, and the MLS journalist Bruno Vain, among other special guests.
Petersen highlighted the strategic value of the institutional presence in the US., Noting that the AFA already has more than 50 sponsoring brands:
“There are hundreds of people working behind this project. Being here and being able to present, in an event with our coach, Lionel Scaloni, AFA’s plans to more than 250 companies in the United States, is a pride. That already marks the interest in the market for the AFA brand, and I think that is an objective for us,” he said.
These types of activities do nothing but prepare the land for the great football events that will mark the Miami agenda in the coming years, such as the 2025 Club World Cup and the expected World Cup 2026, where the city will be one of the protagonist headquarters.
And as if that were not enough, FC Barcelona confirmed the opening of an official headquarters in Miami, reinforcing its institutional presence in the US. The new Catalan club office will seek to deepen its link with sponsors, expand its academies program and strengthen its commercial impact on the North American market.
With world champions visiting the city and European giants establishing new bases, Miami is positioned as a true global football capital. The countdown to the next tournaments has already started … and the city is already playing its game.
By Paola Serna – special for Diario Las Américas
