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Argentina national football team facts for kids

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This page is about the men's team. For the women's team, see Argentina women's national football team.
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Argentina
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s) La Selección
(The Selection)
La Albiceleste
(The White and Sky Blue)
Association Asociación del Fútbol Argentino
(Argentine Football Association)
Confederation CONMEBOL
(South American Football Confederation)
Head coach Lionel Scaloni
Captain Lionel Messi
Most caps Lionel Messi (191)
Top scorer Lionel Messi (112)
Home stadium Various
FIFA code ARG
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 11 Steady (7 February 2019)
Highest 1 (March 2007, October 2007 – June 2008, July–October 2015, April 2016 – March 2017, April 2023 –)
Lowest 24 (August 1996)
Elo ranking
Current 13 Decrease 7 (3 March 2019)
Highest 1 (29 times between 1902 and 2016)
Lowest 26 (June 1990)
First international
 Uruguay 0–6 Argentina 
(Montevideo, Uruguay; 20 July 1902)
Biggest win
 Argentina 12–0 Ecuador 
(Montevideo, Uruguay; 22 January 1942)
Biggest defeat
 Czechoslovakia 6–1 Argentina 
(Helsingborg, Sweden; 15 June 1958)
 Argentina 0–5 Colombia 
(Buenos Aires, Argentina; 5 September 1993)
 Bolivia 6–1 Argentina 
(La Paz, Bolivia; 1 April 2009)
 Spain 6–1 Argentina 
(Madrid, Spain; 27 March 2018)
World Cup
Appearances 18 (first in 1930)
Best result Champions (1978, 1986, 2022)
Copa América
Appearances 44 (first in 1916)
Best result Champions (1921, 1925, 1927, 1929, 1937, 1941, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1955, 1957, 1959, 1991, 1993, 2021, 2024)
Panamerican Championship
Appearances 2 (first in 1956)
Best result Champions (1960)
CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions
Appearances 3 (first in 1993)
Best result Champions (1993, 2022)
Confederations Cup
Appearances 3 (first in 1992)
Best result Champions (1992)
Medal record
FIFA World Cup
Gold 1978 Argentina Team
Gold 1986 Mexico Team
Gold 2022 Qatar Team
Silver 1930 Uruguay Team
Silver 1990 Italy Team
Silver 2014 Brazil Team
Olympic Games
Silver 1928 Amsterdam Team
Copa América
Gold 1921 Argentina Team
Gold 1925 Argentina Team
Gold 1927 Peru Team
Gold 1929 Argentina Team
Gold 1937 Argentina Team
Gold 1941 Chile Team
Gold 1945 Chile Team
Gold 1946 Argentina Team
Gold 1947 Ecuador Team
Gold 1955 Chile Team
Gold 1957 Peru Team
Gold 1959 Argentina Team
Gold 1991 Chile Team
Gold 1993 Ecuador Team
Gold 2021 Brazil Team
Gold 2024 United States Team
Silver 1916 Argentina Team
Silver 1917 Uruguay Team
Silver 1920 Chile Team
Silver 1923 Uruguay Team
Silver 1924 Uruguay Team
Silver 1926 Chile Team
Silver 1935 Peru Team
Silver 1942 Uruguay Team
Silver 1959 Ecuador Team
Silver 1967 Uruguay Team
Silver 2004 Peru Team
Silver 2007 Venezuela Team
Silver 2015 Chile Team
Silver 2016 United States Team
Bronze 1919 Brazil Team
Bronze 1956 Uruguay Team
Bronze 1963 Bolivia Team
Bronze 1989 Brazil Team
Bronze 2019 Brazil Team
FIFA Confederations Cup
Gold 1992 Saudi Arabia Team
Silver 1995 Saudi Arabia Team
Silver 2005 Germany Team
CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions
Gold 1993 Argentina Team
Gold 2022 England Team

The Argentina national football team (Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Argentina), nicknamed La Albiceleste ('The White and Sky Blue'), represents Argentina in men's international football and is administered by the Argentine Football Association, the governing body for football in Argentina.

They are the reigning world champions, having won the most recent World Cup in 2022, earning their third star shown by the team's crest. Overall, Argentina has appeared in a World Cup final six times, a record equaled by Italy and surpassed only by Brazil and Germany. Argentina played in the first ever final in 1930, which they lost 4–2 to Uruguay. The following final appearance came 48 years later, in 1978, when the team captained by Daniel Passarella defeated the Netherlands 3–1 in extra time, becoming world champions for the first time. Captained by Diego Maradona, Argentina won their second World Cup eight years later, in 1986, with a 3–2 final victory over West Germany. They reached the final once more under the guidance of Maradona, in 1990, but were ultimately beaten 1–0 by West Germany. A few decades later, Argentina, led by Lionel Messi made their fifth final appearance in 2014, losing to Germany 1–0 after extra time. In 2022, again captained by Messi, they were crowned world champions for the third time, the fourth-most of any country, beating France 4–2 on penalties, following a 3–3 draw after extra time. The team's World Cup–winning managers are César Luis Menotti in 1978, Carlos Bilardo in 1986 and Lionel Scaloni in 2022. In addition, Argentina has also been very successful in the Copa América, with a record 16 titles, most recently winning the 2024 edition. They are also the only nation to have won the Copa América three consecutive times: they did it in 1945, 1946 and 1947. Furthermore, Argentina won the inaugural FIFA Confederations Cup in 1992 and is the most successful team in the CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions, having won it twice, in 1993 and 2022. The national team also won the Panamerican Championship in 1960. In total, with 23 official titles won as of 2024, Argentina holds the record in senior official titles won.

Argentines Guillermo Stábile in 1930 and Mario Kempes in 1978 were the top-scoring players at their respective World Cups. Since the Golden Ball for the tournament's best player was officially awarded by FIFA in 1982, Argentina players have won it three times: Maradona in 1986 and Messi in 2014 and 2022. Individually for Argentina, Lionel Messi is the all-time most-capped player with 189 matches and the highest goalscorer with 112 goals. As of October 2024, Argentina ranks 1st in the FIFA Men's World Ranking.

Argentina is known for having rivalries with Brazil, England, Germany, the Netherlands, Uruguay and France.

History

Main article: History of the Argentina national football team
Further information: Football in Argentina

The first ever match Argentina played was against Uruguay on 20 June 1902. The match, which was the first international for both sides, was held in Montevideo, and Argentina won 6–0. During the first years of its existence, Argentina only played friendly matches against other South American teams. The reasons for this varied, including long travel times between countries and the interruption due to World War I.

La Albiceleste has appeared in World Cup finals six times, including the first ever final on 30 July 1930, which they lost 4–2 to Uruguay. Argentina won their next final on 25 June 1978, beating the Netherlands 3–1. Eight years later, in 1986, Argentina led by Diego Maradona won their second title with a 3–2 victory over West Germany. Under the guidance of Maradona, they reached the final again, in 1990, but ultimately lost 1–0 to West Germany, by a much-disputed penalty. Led by Lionel Messi, Argentina reached the final in 2014, where they were beaten 1–0 by Germany in extra time. In 2022, again under the captaincy of Messi, Argentina won their third World Cup, beating France 4–2 on penalties, following a 3–3 draw after extra time. The team's World Cup–winning managers are César Luis Menotti in 1978, Carlos Bilardo in 1986 and Lionel Scaloni in 2022.

Argentina has also been very successful in the South American Football Championship, the Copa América, winning it 16 times; they were crowned champions most recently in 2024. The team also won the inaugural FIFA Confederations Cup in 1992 and the CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions in 1993 and 2022.

In March 2007, Argentina reached the top of the FIFA Men's World Ranking for the first time.

Home stadium

RiverPlateStadium
Estadio Monumental, a frequent venue for Argentina

Argentina plays most of its home matches at River Plate's stadium, Estadio Monumental, in Buenos Aires, although the team also uses various other venues frequently, such as Estadio Único Madre de Ciudades and Boca Juniors' stadium, La Bombonera. Those venues, along with Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes and Estadio San Juan del Bicentenario, were used for the 2022 World Cup qualification. Additionally, Argentina played some matches at Rosario Central's stadium, Estadio Gigante de Arroyito, during their 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign.

GEBA Stadium was the first stadium Argentina used for its home matches; that includes the Copa Newton match against Uruguay held on 13 September 1908, which has a historic significance for being the first time Argentina wore the light blue and white-striped jersey in an official match, which has since then been the defining uniform up to the present day. GEBA was also used for the Copa Centenario Revolución de Mayo, the first competition held between South American national teams, considered the predecessor of Copa América, organised by the Argentine Football Association (AFA) in 1910. Most recently, Argentina played at GEBA on 19 October 1919, winning the Copa Premier Honor Argentino after a 6–1 victory over Uruguay.

Furthermore, Estadio Sportivo Barracas is also considered a memorable venue for Argentina; the stadium was commonly used by Argentina from 1920 to 1932. Playing at the stadium for La Albiceleste on 2 October 1924, forward Cesáreo Onzari scored directly from a corner kick, the first such incident in football, when Argentina beat Uruguay 2–1; such goals are now often referred as Olympic goals due to the fact that Uruguay had just won the 1924 Olympic title. Sportivo Barracas was later demolished after 1936.

Team image

Kit

Argentina equipo v combinadopaulista 1908
The classic light blue and white-striped jersey first worn on 2 July 1908 in a friendly match at São Paulo.

The first kit ever worn by Argentina, in their official debut against Uruguay in 1902, included a light blue shirt. On 2 July 1908, Argentina debuted a shirt with light blue vertical stripes on a white jersey, which they used when they played a side formed of Campeonato Paulista players at Velódromo Paulistano; they used the jersey in an official match against Uruguay on 13 September 1908, and the striped jersey has remained as the definitive kit for Argentina ever since then. The team's away kits have been in dark blue shades, with the colours of shorts and socks varying from time to time.

Argentina has also sported other kits; on 3 June 1919 in Rio de Janeiro, playing against Brazil, Argentina wore a light blue kit, similar to that of Uruguay, out of respect for Roberto Chery, a substitute goalkeeper for Uruguay, who had collapsed and died during a match against Chile at the 1919 South American Championship; the match between Argentina and Brazil was organised by the Brazilian Football Confederation for the benefit of Chery's relatives. At the 1958 World Cup, Argentina wore the yellow jersey of Swedish club IFK Malmö against West Germany, as the team had arrived in Sweden without an away kit.

Maradona vs england
Blue has always been the usual away color. In the image, Diego Maradona celebrating his goal of the century v England in 1986.

At the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, the then manager, Carlos Bilardo, asked the team's kit supplier, Le Coq Sportif, for lighter blue shirts for their quarter-final against England in three days, but they could not be provided. Then, a member of the coaching staff scoured the shops of Mexico City for 38 plain shirts, which were transformed with an improvised version of the AFA emblem embroidered on the shirts and silvery American football numbers ironed to the backs.

Sporting the makeshift jerseys, Argentina beat England on 22 June, with Diego Maradona scoring his famous "Hand of God goal". Afterwards, the shirt became a symbol of the occasion and an important collector's item.

At the 2018 World Cup in Russia, Argentina debuted a black away kit; and at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, they wore a purple away kit in a competitive match for the first time.

In November 2024, Argentina released a kit commemorating the 50th anniversary of the beginning of their partnership with Adidas back in 1974. It was used in the qualifier match for the 2026 FIFA World Cup against the Peru national football team

Kit suppliers

Argentina historic football jerseys edited
Some of Argentina's historic jerseys exhibited in 2022
Kit supplier Period Ref.
United Kingdom St. Margaret 1901–1924
Argentina Gath & Chaves 1925–1934
(no data for the 1935–1957 period)
Argentina Industria Lanús 1958–1963
Argentina Noceto Sports 1964–1965
Argentina Sportlandia 1966
Argentina Industria Lanús 1967–1974
Germany Adidas 1974–1979
France Le Coq Sportif 1980–1989
Germany Adidas 1990–1998
United States Reebok 1999–2001
Germany Adidas 2001–present

Crest

Argentina Football Team Badge 1974 and 1978 (home)
The AFA emblem that was added to playing kits in 1976

Argentina has used the logo of the Argentine Football Association as its emblem since it was first worn at the 1958 World Cup in Sweden; the logo was added to the team's jackets, but not the shirts. The emblem was not used on jerseys until 16 November 1976, when Argentina played the Soviet Union at Estadio Monumental. At the beginning, the crest used did not include a laurel wreath, which was first added for the 1982 World Cup.

As a respected and common practice, two stars were added above the crest in 2004, symbolising Argentina's World Cup titles in 1978 and 1986. In 2022, a third star was added after Argentina were crowned world champions for the third time.

Results and fixtures

Main article: Argentina national football team results (2020–present)

The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

      Win       Draw       Loss       Fixture

2024

2025

Coaching staff

Main article: List of Argentina national football team managers
Lionel Scaloni 2022 vs Colombia
Lionel Scaloni, the current head coach of Argentina
Position Name
Head coach Argentina Lionel Scaloni
Assistant coach Argentina Pablo Aimar
Argentina Roberto Ayala
Argentina Walter Samuel
Goalkeeping coach Argentina Martín Tocalli
Fitness coach Argentina Luis Martín
Video analyst Argentina Matías Manna
Team coordinator Argentina Nicolás Russo
Academy manager Argentina Bernardo Romeo
Base camp coordinator Argentina Oscar Dertycia
Goalkeeping coordinator Argentina Mauro Dobler

Players

See also: List of Argentina international footballers

Current squad

The following 26 players were named in the squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches on 14 and 19 November 2024 against Paraguay and Peru, respectively.

Caps and goals are correct as of 19 November 2024, after the match against Peru.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Walter Benítez (1993-01-19) 19 January 1993 (age 31) 1 0 Netherlands PSV Eindhoven
12 1GK Gerónimo Rulli (1992-05-20) 20 May 1992 (age 32) 6 0 France Marseille
23 1GK Emiliano Martínez (1992-09-02) 2 September 1992 (age 32) 49 0 England Aston Villa
2 2DF Nehuén Pérez (2000-06-24) 24 June 2000 (age 24) 3 0 Portugal Porto
3 2DF Nicolás Tagliafico (1992-08-31) 31 August 1992 (age 32) 67 1 France Lyon
4 2DF Gonzalo Montiel (1997-01-01) 1 January 1997 (age 27) 36 1 Spain Sevilla
6 2DF Leonardo Balerdi (1999-01-26) 26 January 1999 (age 25) 5 0 France Marseille
13 2DF Facundo Medina (1999-05-28) 28 May 1999 (age 25) 4 0 France Lens
19 2DF Nicolás Otamendi (vice-captain) (1988-02-12) 12 February 1988 (age 36) 123 7 Portugal Benfica
2DF Nahuel Molina (1998-04-06) 6 April 1998 (age 26) 48 1 Spain Atlético Madrid
5 3MF Leandro Paredes (1994-06-29) 29 June 1994 (age 30) 70 5 Italy Roma
7 3MF Rodrigo De Paul (1994-05-24) 24 May 1994 (age 30) 75 2 Spain Atlético Madrid
8 3MF Enzo Fernández (2001-01-17) 17 January 2001 (age 23) 34 4 England Chelsea
11 3MF Giovani Lo Celso (1996-04-09) 9 April 1996 (age 28) 61 3 Spain Real Betis
14 3MF Exequiel Palacios (1998-10-05) 5 October 1998 (age 26) 32 0 Germany Bayer Leverkusen
15 3MF Thiago Almada (2001-04-26) 26 April 2001 (age 23) 6 2 Brazil Botafogo
18 3MF Nico Paz (2004-09-08) 8 September 2004 (age 20) 1 0 Italy Como
20 3MF Alexis Mac Allister (1998-12-24) 24 December 1998 (age 25) 36 3 England Liverpool
3MF Enzo Barrenechea (2001-05-11) 11 May 2001 (age 23) 0 0 Spain Valencia
3MF Facundo Buonanotte (2004-12-23) 23 December 2004 (age 19) 2 0 England Leicester City
9 4FW Julián Alvarez (2000-01-31) 31 January 2000 (age 24) 42 11 Spain Atlético Madrid
10 4FW Lionel Messi (captain) (1987-06-24) 24 June 1987 (age 37) 191 112 United States Inter Miami
16 4FW Giuliano Simeone (2002-12-18) 18 December 2002 (age 22) 1 0 Spain Atlético Madrid
17 4FW Alejandro Garnacho (2004-07-01) 1 July 2004 (age 20) 8 0 England Manchester United
21 4FW Valentín Castellanos (1998-10-03) 3 October 1998 (age 26) 2 0 Italy Lazio
22 4FW Lautaro Martínez (1997-08-22) 22 August 1997 (age 27) 70 32 Italy Inter Milan

Recent call-ups

The following players have also been called up for the team in the last twelve months.


Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Juan Musso (1994-05-06) 6 May 1994 (age 30) 2 0 Spain Atlético Madrid v.  Bolivia, 15 October 2024
GK Franco ArmaniRET (1986-10-16) 16 October 1986 (age 38) 19 0 Argentina River Plate 2024 Copa América
DF Cristian Romero (1998-04-27) 27 April 1998 (age 26) 40 3 England Tottenham Hotspur v.  Peru, 19 November 2024 INJ
DF Germán Pezzella (1991-06-27) 27 June 1991 (age 33) 42 3 Argentina River Plate v.  Paraguay, 14 November 2024 INJ
DF Lisandro Martínez (1998-01-18) 18 January 1998 (age 26) 26 1 England Manchester United v.  Paraguay, 14 November 2024 INJ
DF Julio Soler (2005-02-16) 16 February 2005 (age 19) 0 0 Argentina Lanús v.  Bolivia, 15 October 2024
DF Marcos Acuña (1991-10-28) 28 October 1991 (age 33) 61 0 Argentina River Plate v.  Venezuela, 10 October 2024 INJ
DF Valentín Barco (2004-07-23) 23 July 2004 (age 20) 2 0 Spain Sevilla v.  Colombia, 10 September 2024
DF Lucas Martínez Quarta (1996-05-10) 10 May 1996 (age 28) 15 0 Italy Fiorentina 2024 Copa América
DF Nicolás Valentini (2001-04-06) 6 April 2001 (age 23) 0 0 Argentina Boca Juniors v.  Costa Rica, 26 March 2024
DF Marcos Senesi (1997-05-10) 10 May 1997 (age 27) 1 0 England Bournemouth v.  El Salvador, 22 March 2024 INJ
MF Guido Rodríguez (1994-04-12) 12 April 1994 (age 30) 30 1 England West Ham United v.  Colombia, 10 September 2024
MF Ezequiel Fernández (2002-07-25) 25 July 2002 (age 22) 0 0 Saudi Arabia Al-Qadsiah v.  Colombia, 10 September 2024
FW Nico González (1998-04-06) 6 April 1998 (age 26) 41 6 Italy Juventus v.  Paraguay, 14 November 2024 INJ
FW Paulo Dybala (1993-11-15) 15 November 1993 (age 31) 40 4 Italy Roma v.  Venezuela, 10 October 2024 INJ
FW Valentín Carboni (2005-03-05) 5 March 2005 (age 19) 3 0 France Marseille v.  Venezuela, 10 October 2024 INJ
FW Matías Soulé (2003-04-15) 15 April 2003 (age 21) 0 0 Italy Roma v.  Colombia, 10 September 2024
FW Ángel Di MaríaRET (1988-02-14) 14 February 1988 (age 36) 145 31 Portugal Benfica 2024 Copa América
FW Ángel Correa (1995-03-09) 9 March 1995 (age 29) 25 3 Spain Atlético Madrid v.  Guatemala, 15 June 2024 PRE

COV Withdrew from the squad due to quarantine or infection by COVID-19
INJ Withdrew due to injury
PRE Preliminary squad
RET Retired from the national team
SUS Suspended
U23 Selected at the Argentina national under-23 football team

Individual records and achievements

Main article: Argentina national football team records and statistics
Players in bold are still active with Argentina.

Most-capped players

Argentina national football team records and statistics

Top goalscorers

Argentina national football team records and statistics

World Cup-winning captains

World Cup winning captains of Argentina
Daniel Passarella in 1978
Diego Maradona in 1986
Lionel Messi in 2022
Year Player Caps Goals
1978 Daniel Passarella 70 22
1986 Diego Maradona 91 34
2022 Lionel Messi 191 112

Competitive record

Argentina national football team records and statistics

Head-to-head record

Argentina national football team records and statistics

Rivalries

Brazil

Main article: Argentina–Brazil football rivalry

Argentina and Brazil have a fierce rivalry which is one of the oldest in South America. Matches between the two teams, even those that are only friendly matches, are often marked by notable and controversial incidents. The rivalry has also been referred to as the "Battle of the Americas." FIFA has described it as the "essence of football rivalry".

The rivalry has extended to comparisons between Pelé and Diego Maradona. Some of their countrymen also feature regularly in such debates. The next most notable pair are perhaps Garrincha (Brazilian) and Alfredo Di Stéfano (Argentine). The most dominant figures from the two countries in the modern game are Neymar (Brazilian) and Lionel Messi (Argentine). Both Pelé and Maradona have declared Neymar and Messi their respective "successors".

England

Main article: Argentina–England football rivalry

With a rivalry stemming from the 1966 World Cup and intensified by the Falklands War of 1982, Argentina and England have had numerous confrontations in World Cup tournaments. Among them was the quarter-final match in 1986, where Diego Maradona scored two goals against England. The first was a handball, but was ruled legal by the referee. The second, scored minutes later, saw Maradona passing five England outfield players before scoring, and is often described as one of, if not the greatest goal in football history.

The nations were paired together in the Round of 16 at the 1998 World Cup, won by Argentina on penalties, and again at the group stage in 2002, England winning 1–0 through a penalty by David Beckham who had been sent off in the tie four years earlier.

Germany

Maradona and Rummenigge
Diego Maradona and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge prior to the 1986 World Cup final between Argentina and West Germany

Argentina has played Germany in seven FIFA World Cup matches including three FIFA World Cup finals: In 1986 Argentina won 3–2, but in the 1990 and 2014 it was the Germans who were the victors by a 1–0 scoreline both times.

In 1958 they met for the first time in the group stage, where Argentina suffered a 1–3 loss to defending champions West Germany. In 1966 both again faced each other in the group stage which ended in a scoreless draw. In 2006, they met in the quarter-finals; Argentina lost on penalties after a 1–1 draw, which was followed by a brawl on the pitch involving several players. They met again at the same stage in 2010, this time ending with a 4–0 victory for Germany. They played each other for the third consecutive World Cup in the Brazil 2014 event's final, where Argentina was defeated in extra time by a score of 1–0.

Mexico

Main article: Argentina–Mexico football rivalry

Argentina has a minor rivalry with Mexico, which developed in the 1990s. The rivalry is considered one-sided as Argentines do not consider Mexico as rivals. Although the first official match between both nations came in the 1930 FIFA World Cup where Argentina beat Mexico 6–3 in the group stage, the rivalry emerged during the late twentieth century, especially after the 1993 Copa América final, where Argentina beat Mexico 2–1. That was the first time a non-CONMEBOL nation played in a Copa América final, and the first final played between both sides.

The rivalry has continued in club competitions, where Argentine and Mexicans first met in 1968 Copa Interamericana. The rivalry between both nations at club level increased during the late 1990s, when Mexican clubs were invited to participate in Copa Libertadores, where they played memorable matches against Boca Juniors.

During the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, some Mexican and Argentine fans had a fight in Doha prior to the match between both sides, among great animosity. Both supporters fought again inside Lusail Stadium after the match that Argentina won 2–0, giving Argentina a chance to qualify and forcing Mexico to win against Saudi Arabia to qualify, which ended with Argentina and Poland qualifying and Mexico being eliminated alongside Saudi Arabia.

This sense of rivalry is more keenly felt by Mexican supporters and media, since Argentines do not consider Mexico rivals like Brazil, Germany, Uruguay or England.

Netherlands

Main article: Argentina–Netherlands football rivalry

Considered by sports media to be two historically great teams, the Argentines and Dutch have developed an intense rivalry. They have met ten times in total, including six times during the World Cup.

The two teams first met on 26 May 1974 in an international friendly, won by the Netherlands 4–1. Their most high-profile matchup occurred in the 1978 World Cup final which was won by Argentina. One of the most recent and intense meetings happened in the 2022 World Cup, a 2–2 draw where Argentina advanced on penalties, in what is known as the Battle of Lusail.

Nigeria

A recurrent rivalry developed from the 1990s between Argentina and Nigeria, based not on geographical proximity, long-term battles for honours or factors outside football, but due to the frequency of significant matches between them. This has included five World Cup group matches, all won by Argentina by a single goal margin: 2–1 in 1994, 1–0 in 2002, 1–0 in 2010, 3–2 in 2014 and 2–1 in 2018. The fixture is the most common in the competition's history involving an African nation, and has occurred in five of the six tournaments for which Nigeria has qualified. The sides also met in the 1995 King Fahd Cup (the predecessor to the Confederations Cup) as champions of their respective continents, drawing 0–0.

Below full international level, their Olympic teams also faced off in the gold medal match in 1996 (3–2 to Nigeria), and 2008 (1–0 to Argentina). The final of the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship was also played between them; both Argentina goals in their 2–1 win were scored by Lionel Messi, who would go on to find the net for the senior team in the 2014 and 2018 World Cup fixtures.

The sense of rivalry is more keenly felt on the Nigerian side, as Argentina has won almost all of their encounters, so they do not consider Nigeria a rival like Brazil, England, Uruguay or Germany, in contrast to the West Africans who remain keen to finally overcome a more illustrious foe.

Uruguay

Main article: Argentina–Uruguay football rivalry

Argentina has a long-standing rivalry with its neighbour, that came into existence from the early South American Championships, the 1928 Summer Olympics and the first World Cup final, held in 1930.

Argentina and Uruguay hold the record for most international matches played between two countries. The two teams have faced each other 197 times since 1902. The first match between Argentina and Uruguay was also the first official international match to be played outside the United Kingdom.

Honours

Major competitions

Worldwide

Intercontinental

  • CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions
    • 1 Champions (2): 1993, 2022 (record)

Continental

  • South American Championship / Copa América
    • 1 Champions (16): 1921, 1925, 1927, 1929, 1937, 1941, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1955, 1957, 1959, 1991, 1993, 2021, 2024 (record)
    • 2 Runners-up (14): 1916, 1917, 1920, 1923, 1924, 1926, 1935, 1942, 1959, 1967, 2004, 2007, 2015, 2016
    • 3 Third place (5): 1919, 1956, 1963, 1989, 2019
  • Panamerican Championship
    • 1 Champions (1): 1960
    • 2 Runners-up (1): 1956

Friendly

  • Newton Cup (17): 1906, 1907, 1908, 1909, 1911, 1916, 1918, 1924, 1927, 1928, 1937, 1942, 1945, 1957, 1973, 1975, 1976 (record)
  • Lipton Cup (18): 1906, 1907, 1908, 1909, 1913, 1915, 1916, 1917, 1918, 1928, 1937, 1942, 1945, 1957, 1962, 1968, 1976, 1992 (record)
  • Copa Premier Honor Argentino (7): 1909, 1911, 1913, 1914,1918, 1919, 1980 (record)
  • Copa Centenario Revolución de Mayo: 1910
  • Copa Premier Honor Uruguayo (5): 1915, 1916, 1917, 1923, 1924
  • Copa Juan Mignaburu (5): 1935, 1936, 1938, 1940, 1943 (record)
  • Copa Héctor Rivadavia Gómez (3): 1935, 1936, 1943 (record)
  • Roca Cup (4): 1923, 1939, 1940, 1971 (shared)
  • Superclásico de las Américas (2): 2017, 2019
  • Nations' Cup: 1964
  • Kirin Cup (2): 1992, 2003
  • Copa Times of India : 2011
  • San Juan Cup : 2019

Awards

  • FIFA Team of the Year: 2007, 2016, 2023
  • FIFA World Cup Fair Play Trophy: 1978
  • Copa América Fair Play Trophy: 2016
  • Laureus World Sports Award for Team of the Year: 2023
  • World Soccer World Team of the Year: 1986, 2022
  • Gazzetta Sports World Team of the Year: 1978, 1986
  • Guerin Sportivo Team of the Year: 1986
  • AIPS Team of the Year: 2022, 2023

Chronology of titles

Host nation Tournament Year No.
Argentina Argentina Copa América 1921 1st
1925 2nd
Peru Peru 1927 3rd
Argentina Argentina 1929 4th
1937 5th
Chile Chile 1941 6th
1945 7th
Argentina Argentina 1946 8th
Ecuador Ecuador 1947 9th
Chile Chile 1955 10th
Peru Peru 1957 11th
Argentina Argentina 1959 12th
Costa Rica Costa Rica Panamerican Championship 1960 13th
Argentina Argentina World Cup 1978 14th
Mexico Mexico 1986 15th
Chile Chile Copa América 1991 16th
Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia Confederations Cup 1992 17th
Argentina Argentina CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions 1993 18th
Ecuador Ecuador Copa América 1993 19th
Brazil Brazil 2021 20th
England England CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions 2022 21st
Qatar Qatar World Cup 2022 22nd
United States United States Copa América 2024 23rd

Summary

Senior competition 1 2 3 Total
FIFA World Cup 3 3 0 6
FIFA Confederations Cup 1 2 0 3
Olympic Games 0 1 0 1
Copa América 16 14 5 35
Panamerican Championship 1 1 0 2
CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions 2 0 0 2
Total 23 21 5 49

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Argentina para niños

  • List of Argentina international footballers
  • List of Argentina national football team managers
  • Argentina national under-23 football team
  • Argentina national under-20 football team
  • Argentina national under-17 football team
  • Argentina national under-15 football team
  • Vamos, vamos, Argentina
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Argentina national football team Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.