Is nationalism deeper rooted in South American football?

Tim Vickery observes:

This idea of representation is especially strong for the South Americans, where the shirt of the national team is such an important symbol of the country.

Back in Brazil and Argentina, the European-based stars are always liable to be branded as mercenaries who are out of contact with the game in the land of their birth - when in fact the players make sacrifices to play for their national team that many Europeans would not be willing to undergo, especially in terms of travelling time.

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