Santiago Wanderers founded in Valparaíso

Background. Football was first brought to Chile by the English, who exhibited the sport during visits to commercial ports such as Valparaíso. Santiago Wanderers, founded in 1892, is described in its own history as the oldest football club in Chile and one of the oldest in the Americas, and is known as the 'Dean of Chilean football' and part of CONMEBOL's Club de los 100. Other accounts, however, name Valparaiso Football Club as Chile's oldest club and describe a club founded at The Mackay and Sutherland School in Cerro Alegre as the country's first.

Founding. Santiago Wanderers was officially established on 15 August 1892 in the port district of Barrio Puerto in Valparaíso. Because another team named Valparaíso Wanderers already existed, the founders adopted the name 'Santiago' to distinguish their club from the established side.

Early Developments. James McLean, an Englishman residing in Valparaíso, proposed importing uniforms from England, where football kits were already manufactured. Upon his return, the club received twenty green shirts, twenty pairs of white shorts, and a black uniform for the goalkeeper, marking an early step in formalizing the team's identity.