In 1909, a group of Chilean teenagers founded a football club and gave it a rather bold name: Everton.
The inspiration came from Everton F.C., who had toured South America and clearly left quite an impression.
A century later, their Chilean namesakes decided to celebrate their story in style. To mark their delayed centenary, Everton de Viña del Mar travelled to England for something football rarely gets right: a meeting between two clubs who share the same name, but half a world between them.
The destination was Goodison Park, Everton’s old home, where the two Evertons met in a friendly for the Brotherhood Cup.
The English Everton won 2-0, claiming bragging rights in the most polite family reunion football could arrange.
For the Chilean side, though, the score was almost beside the point. They had travelled thousands of miles to play the club whose name had inspired theirs as teenagers.
And when the game was broadcast live across Chile, the story came full circle.
One Everton had borrowed the name.
A century later, they came home to meet the original.
