2022 FIFA World Cup Final: How France played a major role in Argentina’s independence and during the Falklands war
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The Lusail Iconic Stadium will play host to the tantalizing World Cup 2022 final between Argentina and the reigning champions France on Sunday as the grand final of the tournament. France aims at joining the illusive list of Brazil & Italy to become only the third nation to win back-to-back World Cups, a feat not been achieved since 1962.
They are up against Lionel Messi-led Argentina who after a shocking loss against Saudi Arabia has been able to steady the ship and cruise through their semifinal clash against Croatia to ready football’s grandest stage. While there will certainly be no holding back in the finals from both sides, historically, both countries have had strong relationships, stretching back almost two centuries.
Argentina’s fight for Independence led to the first interaction between the French and South American countries. The Peninsula War which was fought between France & Spain was when Argentina won its independence. Argentina being a Spanish territory back then was exploited to the core but the conflict with the French was constrained within Europe.
The French military never made a direct assault on the Viceroyalty which also included now independent nations Peru, Uruguay and Bolivia. The French war against Spain served as an unintentional spark for the Argentine War of Independence. With the establishment of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata in 1816, Argentina achieved its independence from Spain
Napoleon I of France intervened in Spain in 1808 to dethrone King Ferdinand VII, sparking a civil war between two opposing administrations. This also sparked a series of events that helped the United Provinces of the Rio de la Plata gain its independence. Argentina was declared an independent nation by France at the end of 1830.
France also indirectly assisted Argentina during their war against the British
In spite of voting in favour of Argentina in the UN security council to sanctions and embargoes against sending military equipment there, France still provided some aid to Argentina during the Falklands war against the British. While the French Prime Minister was completely favoring his “Greatest Ally”, there were some factions in government who intentionally or unintentionally supported the Argentine.
Before the Falklands war, Five Exocet missiles were sold by France to the Argentine military regime. Throughout the conflict, a technical team from France stayed in Argentina, primarily working for a business that was 51 percent owned by the French government. However, Argentina surrendered against the British after suffering more casualties. They went on to take their revenge by defeating the English in the 1986 World Cup semifinals with the help of Diego Maradona’s “Hand of God” goal.
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France’s influence in Argentina could be seen to this day
Now, both countries are members of the G-20. Many native Argentines have french connections with close to 250000 migrants from France moving to the South American peninsula at the end of the 19th century when ties between the two countries were strengthened. Immigration from France played an important role in Argentina’s way of living.
They inspired areas such as Architecture, Language, and Education and introduced Latin America to their specialty i.e Wine. Santiago de Liniers considered by many as the greatest figure in Argentina’s history was actually French. There have been three French-origin presidents of Argentina.
Argentina’s capital, Buenos Aires is a multicultural city with influence from the European subcontinent. Many monumental buildings and statues are inspired by 18th-century French architects. While Argentine moving to Europe prefers Italian passports, people with basque heritage are eligible for French passports as well.
Such historical and cultural dimensions between the French & Argentine have created an atmosphere of ecstasy among both sets of fans going into the World Cup final. The thing which makes this encounter more amusing is that both teams are competing for their third World Cup glory with their squads never being much stronger.
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Sujeeth Shetty
(766 Articles Published)