One of the top experiences in Buenos Aires is to watch the local football (soccer) teams, with Boca Juniors arguably the most famous and iconic team in the city (don’t let River Plate, their biggest rivals, fans hear you say that). Videos from the games have splashed across social media, showing the iconic stadium and the incredible passion of the fans. Being an avid sports follower, going to a Boca Juniors game was a bucket list experience for Ky.
Timing your visit over a weekend where Boca Juniors play at home, combined with actually getting a ticket, makes this visit a little harder than one might usually anticipate for a sports match. If you are looking to go, make sure you check the fixtures in advance (however sometimes they aren’t released until close to the start of the season). We initially thought that we had missed the start of the Primera División season, however checking 3 weeks out showed that round 1 of the league happened to fall on the Sunday we were in Buenos Aires. Boca Juniors vs Argentine Juniors. Cue the excitement, and a rush to try and find tickets to the game. A quick search, and a reading some guides, shows the only logical way to attend a match without local connections is through a guided tour or personal guide. This is for 2 reasons. Tickets are really hard to get.. Boca Juniors have over 300,000 members, and the stadium only has around 55,000 capacity.. demand is hot! Furthermore, La Boca, the neighbourhood housing the iconic La Bombonera is renowned for being a little bit ‘edgier’ and even unsafe at times. Therefore, an organized tour or guide is accepted as the best option to get to the game. However, don’t expect these experiences to be cheap. You will likely find these tours to be around 150-200 EUR/USD or 300-350 AUD.. not dissimilar to USA sports game tickets on the resale market. While this may be a dealbreaker for some, as a bucket list of Ky’s, we decided to book a tour through HomeFans.net.. a well-reviewed and reputable sports experience organization.
The game and experience..
Our Boca Juniors HomeFans tour started with a pick up in Palermo, arriving at 5pm in La Boca for the 7pm game. We ventured into the local neighbourhood streets to a hole in the wall bar, where local fans and tourists mingled as one. Serving only beers or Fernet and coke (a South American favourite), and a barbeque pumping out basic feeds, this felt pretty authentic (especially considering we were on a tour). Music was playing, people were upbeat, vibes were high.
Cue 6pm, and the fans begin to migrate towards the iconic La Bombonera. Passing through 3 rounds of security, ID and bag checks, we were thankful to have the guide to help co-ordinate that part of the experience. Entering the stadium we could already hear the fans in full voice. Our excitement was peaking. We reached out seats, at the top of the stadium, and the view was spectacular. The La Bombonera is one of the most vertical stadiums in the world, making it an iconic experience, and no seat had a bad view.
The fans chants increase in fervour, flares go off, and the teams enter the field. Having visited football/soccer matches in the UK, Poland, and Australia, along with NBA, NFL, AFL, NHL, Australian Open, and a range of other sports.. we can safely say this was the loudest crowd atmosphere we have witnessed. From the first whistle to the final one, the ‘ultras’ didn’t stop chanting. Impressively, not only did the active fans chant, but the whole stadium would join in to most of them! Cue great vibes, lots of passion, and an incredible experience. The match was a great spectacle, and despite finishing 0-0, we had a disallowed goal, lots of yellow cards, and South American flair on show.
After the final whistle, our guide led us back to the street bar, where a live band was playing, fans danced in the street, and locals let of flares like they were going out of fashion. This was such a unique atmosphere that had us going.. “imagine if they had won”. As our tour wound to a close with a drop off back in Palermo, we were full of excitement at the unique and incredible experience. Was it worth the time, effort and money? Definitely! If you get the chance to visit a Boca Juniors game, we’d highly recommend it!
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