MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Soccer first played by the Guarani (Paraguay) according to the Vatican

The statement is based on Jesuit accounts from three centuries ago

Soccer or football was first played by the indigenous Guaranies in what is today Paraguay, the heartland of South America and one of the sixteen best teams of the current World Cup currently been disputed in South Africa.

The statement belongs to L’Osservatore Romano, the official Vatican newspaper and the piece is credited to Gianpaolo Romanato.

According to Romanato soccer was born in one of the 30 Jesuit Missions, more specifically in San Ignacio Miní during the XVII century, in a region now identified as Misiones to the south of Paraguay’s capital Asunción.

The piece is supported by the accounts from a Catalan Jesuit, Jose Manuel Peramás, who spent several years at San Ignacio Miní

In his writings, ‘De vita et moribus tredecim virorum paraguaycorum’, published in 1793 Peramás records daily life in the mission including how the indigenous Guarani spent their leisure time.

“They use to play with a ball that, even stuffed, was light and quick, which when whacked continued to bounce and slide by its own weight. They didn’t play with their hands, as we do, but rather with the mid-foot, passing and receiving swiftly and with great precision”, writes Peramás.

“The Guaranies three centuries ago already played masterly with the ball. Paraguayans are but the descendants of the true inventors of football”, adds L’Osservatore Romano.

The indigenous Guaraní was one of the largest ethnic groups in the heart of South America, basically in what is today Paraguay but including north of Argentina, South of Brazil and even in Uruguay.

Many places in South America have Guarani names, (i.e., Paraguay and Uruguay) as do most of the indigenous flora and fauna.

Although Spanish is the domineering language in Paraguay, Guaraní is spoken by the majority of the population and good politicians must have command of both tongues.