The Argentine Football Association (AFA) is actively pursuing a long-term international strategy, with major projects underway in Asia, North America, and the Middle East. In an exclusive interview with Mundo Albiceleste, Leandro Petersen, AFA’s Chief Commercial & Marketing Officer, confirmed that while the short-term match calendar is already packed, there are medium-term plans for the Argentina national team to play in countries such as India or Bangladesh.
“I don’t know if it will be in the short term, because our calendar is very complicated,” Petersen said. “But yes, we have the idea to visit those countries in the medium term — Africa, India, Bangladesh… Morocco is another one that has been contacting us and asking for us to come.”
Petersen joined AFA in October 2017, a few months after Claudio Tapia became president. At the time, the institution had minimal commercial activity outside Argentina. “When I arrived, the reality is that the AFA brand did not exist in a developed way — not even in Argentina,” he explained. “We had five sponsors, all from Argentina. There was no content for fans, no digital platforms in other languages, the website was poor, and social media was only basic and informative.”
Source: Argentine Football Association
Market research quickly revealed that much of AFA’s potential was abroad. “We had several studies showing that in places like China and India, there was huge interest in Argentine football history. There was a lot of love for Maradona, and in China they remembered very well the 2008 Olympics we won in Beijing with a great team including Di María and Messi,” Petersen said.
Armed with that data, AFA launched a 10-year global expansion plan (2018–2028) as part of an institutional project presented alongside César Luis Menotti. “The first stage was China in 2019, where we worked with a local sports marketing agency and Wanda Group to develop a China-specific AFA brand, with social media, a website, e-commerce, and regional sponsors,” he said. “It took time to take off, but we began to see strong engagement and steady growth.”
The second stage focused on the Middle East ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Despite pandemic travel restrictions, Petersen and his team visited the region frequently. “We traveled every month in 2020 with masks, tests, and vaccines. That gave us an advantage over other federations,” he explained. The groundwork paid off, with two sponsorship deals signed during the World Cup itself.
India was the next step. “We replicated the model, and today we have a consolidated brand development there, with six sponsors, social media channels, and fan engagement that no other national team has achieved,” Petersen said.
Source: Argentine Football Association
North America entered AFA’s plans in 2021. “We knew there was a possibility the World Cup would be hosted there — which was later confirmed — and even if it hadn’t been, we would have done it anyway,” Petersen said. The U.S. market offered both a growing interest in soccer and a large Latino population. “Nearly 70 million Latinos live in the U.S., and the majority are fans of Argentine football,” he added.
To prepare, AFA launched English-language social media, organized events in cities like Los Angeles, New York, and Miami with legends such as Javier Zanetti and Lionel Scaloni, and started building a training complex in Miami. “Our dream is for the national team to inaugurate it, with Messi, Scaloni, and the president cutting the ribbon,” Petersen said. The facility is expected to be completed by June 2026, just before the World Cup.
One of the most visible parts of AFA’s global presence is AFA Internacional, created in 2022 under the leadership of Gustavo Grossi. The program operates 12 football academies in Spain, Italy, Morocco, Brazil, Colombia, and the United States, with planned openings in Dubai, China, and India.
“The methodology replicates how the U-13, U-15, and U-17 national teams train,” Petersen explained. “Obviously, we adapt to each country’s football culture, but we bring the Argentine football formation philosophy, which is respected worldwide.”
Source: Argentine Football Association
Beyond training, the academies serve as cultural and commercial hubs. “You can bring your child to train, but you can also eat at an AFA restaurant, buy merchandise, and connect directly with the Argentine national team brand,” he said. “For a fan, walking into a place that feels like an AFA headquarters is something special.”
Petersen stressed that commercial partnerships are central to sustaining AFA’s operations. “Today we have almost 80 sponsors between the national team and the professional league,” he said. “Sponsorship has been AFA’s number one revenue source for the past four years.”
He also pointed out that the current success was built over time, not just during Argentina’s recent run of trophies. “It wasn’t an easy road — for four years, from 2017 to 2021, we didn’t win anything,” Petersen said. “These last four years combined the institutional, commercial, and sporting achievements.”
While the next 12 months will focus heavily on World Cup preparations and commitments in the United States, AFA’s medium-term vision includes taking the national team to new regions. “We’ve been contacted by countries like India, Bangladesh, and Morocco that want us to come,” Petersen said. “That’s what the AFA brand generates. After eight years of work, this is a project that’s well established, and I think whoever comes after us will continue it — because it’s proven to work.”
