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Beyond cheering: How Argentina's schools are using the World Cup for education
🇦🇷 Argentina /Culture & Society

Beyond cheering: How Argentina's schools are using the World Cup for education

From La Nación · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Schools and families in Argentina are using the 2026 World Cup as an educational opportunity beyond just cheering for the national team.
  • Teachers are integrating World Cup themes into lessons, covering subjects like geography, math, and emotional education.
  • The tournament's popularity, especially with Lionel Messi's involvement, provides a unique chance to engage students and make learning more dynamic.

The 2026 World Cup is offering Argentine schools a unique chance to enhance education, transforming the global event into a pedagogical tool. Educators are finding ways to weave the tournament's excitement into classroom activities, covering diverse subjects from geography and history to mathematics and emotional development.

The school cannot be thought of in isolation from culture and events that mobilize society. We do not seek to be on the sidelines of what generates questions, emotions, and conversations in families and children.

— Laura BurzomiDirector of Early Childhood and Primary Education at Aletheia school, explaining the school's approach to integrating major events like the World Cup into the curriculum.

Schools like Aletheia are embracing the World Cup, recognizing that major social events are part of school life. Director Laura Burzomi stated that schools cannot be isolated from societal culture and events that spark questions and emotions in children. This approach allows students to explore the geography of participating nations, learn about different languages and traditions, and delve into statistics and the science of athletic performance.

At Nueva Escuela Argentina 2000, the craze for World Cup stickers became a teaching moment. Director Alejandra Salonia explained how the stickers naturally led to math lessons, with students calculating missing stickers, duplicates, and exchange needs. This initiative also provided opportunities to learn about flags, countries, and global cultures.

The stickers invaded the school's play areas, and we decided to capitalize on the genuine interest of the children.

— Alejandra SaloniaDirector of Nueva Escuela Argentina 2000, discussing how the popularity of World Cup stickers was used for educational purposes.

For teachers like Florencia Z., a third-grade educator, the World Cup is an unparalleled opportunity to ignite student interest. She noted that students are intensely passionate about the tournament and Lionel Messi, which significantly boosts their engagement with daily activities. She designed a thematic booklet to capitalize on this enthusiasm, demonstrating how the World Cup can be a powerful catalyst for learning.

The children feel the World Cup a thousand times over. They are fans of football and Messi. That motivation adds a huge plus to daily activities.

— Florencia Z.A third-grade teacher in a school in the northern zone, describing the impact of the World Cup on her students' engagement.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by La Nación in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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