Buenos Aires. A city with over three million residents, and an astonishing 24 professional football clubs. You would be crazy to think that visiting Boca Juniors and River Plate is the beyond and end all of football, in this colorful city.

Each barrio has it’s own unique club, with equally crazy fans and beautiful stadiums – and is an untapped gem waiting to be explored. 

But what other teams are out there? Are you wondering which club is the perfect one for me to explore? Then here’s the low-down, on some of the city’s most unique sides:

Vélez Sarsfield

Based in the Liniers district of the city, Vélez’s José Amalfitani Stadium is one of the biggest in the country. Known as ‘the Theatre’ by their fans, the stadium is also home to the Argentina national rugby team, Los Pumas. Behind the big five, the club are one of the most successful in the city, with ten Primera División and one Copa Libertadores title to their name. And matchday here is always a special sight – with some of the most passionate and welcoming fans adorning the stadium, each weekend. Treat yourself to a visit to El Teatro, where there’s no doubt that both the players and fans will put on a show.

Ferro Carril Oeste

Things certainly don’t get any less enjoyable, when you drop down a division. The Primera Nacional is packed with a diverse range of clubs, stadiums and supporters that you need to see to believe. Just minutes away from the José Amalfitani are Ferro – who contest the Clásico del Oeste with Vélez. Formed by employees of the Buenos Aires Western Railway, Ferro experienced Primera División success in the early 1980s. But financial turmoil followed, and the club were forced to rise from the ashes, thanks to their loyal fanbase. For this reason, few clubs in the country can boast as strong a relationship with the supporters as Ferro – and this is especially noticeable on matchday. Click here to see for yourself.

CA Huracán

Huracán’s Palacio Ducó is one of the most unique stadiums you’ll find, even by Buenos Aires standards. A huge monument towers over the El Globo fans, with the club’s name proudly displayed in huge red letters along the Tribuna. One half of a passionate rivalry with San Lorenzo, Huracán cannot boast as much silverware as their neighbours, but the fans can certainly claim to be every inch as passionate and loud, during the game. Visit Huracán for the charm, the nostalgia, and the beauty of one of the most romantic scenes in Buenos Aires’ footballing tapestry.

Argentinos Juniors

The side famous for giving Diego Maradona his professional debut, Argentinos pride themselves on developing players from their famed academy, above all else. Despite trophies therefore not being the club’s main target, El Bicho have punched well above their weight – they are three-time league champions, and once Copa Libertadores winners. Immerse yourself in the action at their compact stadium, which is named after Diego himself, and is packed full of character and history. For any football purist, this is the place to head, to check out the next generation of Argentine soccer stars. 

Tigre

Based just north of the capital, the charming provincial town of Victoria springs to life, when Tigre are in town. Some of the country’s most passionate Barra brava pack in to the “El Matador de Victoria” each week, urging their team to victory by whatever means necessary. Matchday is a sea of blue and red – expect flares, colour and deafening noise, as the Northern Blues enjoy an extremely successful season back in the top flight, following on from winning the Primera Nacional last season. Explore for yourself, here.

Deportivo Morón

The iconic red cockerel of Morón has only recently joined the upper echelons of Argentine football. Promoted to Primera B as recently as 2016, Los Gallito are another side that are absolutely worth stepping off the beaten track to find. Based in a western suburb of Buenos Aires, the club play at the Estadio Nuevo Francisco Urbano. Constructed in 2013, it is a modern stadium, but still has all the charm of the concrete Tribuna’s we associate with Buenos Aires’ great teams. See so for yourself, here.

Atlanta

When you picture a sea of yellow and blue hinchas, you might instantly think of La Boca. But a few miles north of La Bombonera are Atalanta – another Primera Nacional side who adorn these famous colours. And whilst the Estadio Don León Kolbovski is a fair bit smaller than that of Boca (holding just 14,000), the fans who line the terraces are every bit as eclectic. The surrounding streets of Villa Crespo area are lined with murals and public art, making this the ideal location for Los Bohemios to play the beautiful game.