Argentina has been internationally recognized for its football since the early twentieth century. Unlike its sporting rivals Uruguay and Brazil, however, it did not host the FIFA World Cup until 1978, despite the fact it had been presenting bids since the 1930s. This article seeks to contribute to the history of the FIFA World Cup by focusing on the largely ignored aspect of bid failures. It examines a recently discovered print source that supported the Asociación de Fútbol Argentino’s bid to host the 1962 World Cup, which it presented to FIFA in 1954. Based on an analysis of the strategies implemented by this association – which enjoyed full support from the Peronist government – to outdo its rival Chile and win the FIFA vote, this article proposes distinct hypotheses on why Argentina’s bid failed and questions the potential impact of Argentina’s complex and conflictive political context in 1955–56 on FIFA’s decision.