Placares nos regimes: Copas do Mundo e ditaduras em Brasil e Argentina em 1970 e em 1978

Abstract

During the 20th century, Brazil and Argentina experienced dictatorial regimes established through military coups, marked by repression and serious human rights violations. Moreover, both countries won the FIFA Men's World Cup, in 1970 and 1978, respectively, during the most repressive phases of their regimes. In this context, this research sought to understand how Presidents Emílio Garrastazu Médici of Brazil and Jorge Rafael Videla of Argentina used soccer as a tool of political propaganda, leveraging the popular euphoria surrounding these sporting victories to legitimize their governments and conceal repressive actions. The research shows that, in Brazil, Médici sought to connect with the population through symbolic gestures, such as attending soccer matches with a portable radio, while also promoting large public infrastructural projects to mask the country's crises. In Argentina, the World Cup hosted by the country in 1978 was surrounded by allegations of human rights violations and suspicions of match results manipulation. Within this framework, the study also explores the emergence of movements such as the Mothers and Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo, who became icons of resistance and the fight for memory, truth, and justice, and their relationship to sporting events that became symbols of the era.