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Few countries live and breathe sport quite like Argentina. From packed stadiums to thriving gaming communities, the competitive spirit runs deep across every generation. Since joining the World Phygital Community, the country has seen traditional athletes, gamers and creators take to the phygital concept and compete in this unifying format.
Following Argentina’s participation at Phygital Contenders Astana 2026, we spoke with Nico Crespo, Head of the Phygital Department from Asociación de Deportes Electrónicos y Videojuegos de Argentina, the WPC member for Argentina, about the country’s progress, its biggest achievements and its ambitions for the future of phygital sport.
The journey that Nico and his team have gone on shows that building a successful phygital ecosystem is not only about organizing competitions — it’s about inspiring an entire community to embrace a new way of competing.
When phygital sport was first introduced in your country, what was the reaction from athletes, clubs, and the wider sports community?
At first it was disbelief but after we took our first teams to Phygital Contenders and the Games of the Future, people started to like the format. We were lucky that we have worked with content creators and esports athletes for several years, so we had their trust that this would be a genuine, and successful, project.
Your country is known for its passionate sporting culture. How does that passion influence the way people experience new sports like phygital?
I think that Argentina is a very passionate country and our culture of sports is very loud and contagious! We want everyone to feel and live sports the way we do – with passion and excitement about what phygital sports will become.
What has been the most important milestone for phygital sport since your organisation joined the World Phygital Community?
I think the third place of La Crema in Phygital Football last year was very important and the incredible performance of Sebastian Carociell in Phygital Dancing as well. It made the dream and possibility to get a champion from Argentina more realistic.
What specific initiatives have helped you attract new athletes and grow participation across the country?
Working with creators to be honest. They have broadened the impact and reach of every activity we do. Also traditional professional athletes are more attracted to play with them and participate in our tournaments.
Can you share a project, event, or achievement that you are particularly proud of and that demonstrates the progress of phygital sport in your country?
We’ve organized two amazing Phygital Rivals this year, with lots of well-known physical athletes, gamers and content creators attending. Several national TV stations came along – it shows that people are getting more interested in phygital sports.
In June, your teams competed at Phygital Contenders Astana 2026. What did that experience mean for your athletes and for the development of the phygital movement and what were your impressions from the level of the teams you faced?
First I think it’s an incredible opportunity and an amazing experience for any sportsman to be able to travel the world doing with they love, there are not many opportunities to do that in the lifetime of a player, especially to faraway countries in our case like Kazakhstan, some of my players it was the first time going so far away from home. The level of the other teams I think it was very good, the digital part has a very strong weight on this competition and everyone was very well prepared.
The Games of the Future 2026 start at the end of July. What are your expectations for the event, and what impact do you believe it will have on the global growth of phygital sport?
I’m looking forward to it, the country is amazing, the people are super nice and friendly. I think this event will be one of the best Games of the Future so far and hopefully we will be able to have new and exciting experiences, and hopefully earn a championship or two!.
Looking ahead, what role do you see your country playing in the future of the World Phygital Community and the wider international phygital ecosystem?
So far we focused on giving visibility with renowned figures and tried to do our best effort for this new sport to be known worldwide and nationally. Hopefully we will be able to attract more attention with this Games of the Future performance and the amazing initiatives that our neighboring countries are doing like phygital sports in schools and such!
