Argentina versus England at the France '98 World Cup: narratives of nation and the mythologizing of the popular

Abstract

The football (soccer) game between Argentina and England during the France '98 World Cup is analysed as a form of media event in which the sports encounter is the source of and high-profile focus for the media's mobilization of narratives of the nation, and reaffirmation of popular mythologies of the national. The legacy of previous Argentina-England encounters is discussed in the light of the persistence of foundation myths concerning the style and impact of the respective national versions of soccer, and the contemporary media's coverage of those myths. The media responses, primarily in press and television, to the 1998 encounter are reviewed and compared in both the Argentinian and the English settings. This comparative analysis is situated, in conclusion, within analytical debates concerning the geo-political nature of persisting sporting stereotypes, and methodological issues concerning the relationship between contextual historical analysis and textual interpretation.