Jonathan Wilson’s book 'Angels with Dirty Faces: The Footballing History of Argentina' is more than a book about football; it’s a deep, insightful chronicle of Argentina’s complex relationship with the most passionate game that has intrigued the people of Argentina since long. Blending history, politics, and culture, Jonathan Wilson crafts a compelling narrative that traces how football became Argentina’s national obsession and a powerful reflection of the country's identity. But the book presents another fascinating story about how football took shape in Argentina. Long before Lionel Messi mesmerized the world and Diego Maradona danced through defenders, Argentina’s love affair with football actually began on a cricket pitch. Yes, you read that right. While today Argentina is one of the most celebrated footballing nations, with three FIFA World Cup titles (1978, 1986 and 2022) and a legacy of legends such as Alfredo Di Stefano, Gabriel Batistuta and Juan Roman Riquelme, the origins of the sport in the country can be traced back to British settlers and their early passion for cricket. The story begins on December 8, 1864, when the first sports ground of the Buenos Aires Cricket Club was established. It was on this very ground, on June 20, 1867, that the first organized game of football in Argentina was played, remarkably under the rules of the English Football Association and being covered by English language daily newspaper The Standard. British expats, Thomas Hogg and his friend William Heald, organized the match between two teams, a team wearing red caps (los Colorados) and team wearing white caps (los Blancos) marking the birth of football in the country which is also known as the Land of Silver. Initially, football was just one of several sports introduced by the British, alongside cricket, polo, and rugby. Cricket enjoyed early popularity among British elites, but football’s simplicity and accessibility helped it spread faster. It required minimal equipment, was easy to learn, and could be played anywhere. Soon, British schools in Argentina began adopting football to promote discipline and teamwork, following the ideals of "muscular Christianity" popular in Victorian education. A key figure in football’s expansion in Argentina was Alexander Watson Hutton, a Scotsman who arrived in Buenos Aires in 1882. In the same year, Alexander Watson Hutton accepted a position at St Andrew's Scots School in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Alexander Watson Hutton taught and played football; however, rugby was Argentina's most popular sport. He resigned after an unsuccessful attempt to convert the school to play football. Frustrated with the lack of support for football at St. Andrew’s Scots School, he founded the English High School in 1884, placing football at the core of its curriculum. His influence was profound so much so that the school’s club, Alumni, became the dominant force in Argentine football, winning 10 league titles between 1900 and 1911. Alumni’s players, many from British-Argentinian families like the Browns, represented the last great Anglo-Argentinian football dynasty. Cricket, though still revered in some circles, slowly took a backseat. While clubs like Lomas Athletic Club started with cricket and dominated early football leagues, the rise of local, non-British clubs like River Plate, Boca Juniors, and Racing Club reflected a cultural shift. Football was becoming a sport of the people, particularly the children of immigrants who flooded Buenos Aires in the early 20th century. By 1893, Watson Hutton had reorganized the football league, forming what would become the Argentine Football Association, South America’s oldest. Meanwhile, international exposure began with matches against Uruguay and visiting British clubs, including Southampton and Nottingham Forest. Though early matches showed a gap in quality, Argentina’s first victory over a touring team, against South Africa in 1906, was a symbolic milestone. Today, football in Argentina is a cultural cornerstone, but its journey from cricket fields to global glory is a testament to how deeply sport, identity, and migration intertwine. Behind every chant of "Vamos, vamos, Argentina" lies a history rooted not just in passion but in paddocks once ruled by cricket stumps.