Argentina national football team facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Argentina

Nickname(s)	La Selección (The Selection) La Albiceleste (The White and Sky Blue)
Association	Asociación del Fútbol Argentino (AFA)
Confederation	CONMEBOL (South America)
Head coach	Lionel Scaloni
Captain	Lionel Messi
Most caps	Lionel Messi (193)
Top scorer	Lionel Messi (112)
Home stadium	Various
FIFA code	ARG
First colours Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current	11 (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 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 (known in Spanish as Selección de fútbol de Argentina), also called La Albiceleste (meaning The White and Sky Blue), represents Argentina in men's international football games. The team is managed by the Asociación del Fútbol Argentino (AFA). Argentina has been a member of FIFA since 1912 and helped start CONMEBOL in 1916.

Argentina is the current world champion, having won the most recent FIFA World Cup in 2022. This was their third World Cup title. Overall, Argentina has played in a FIFA World Cup final six times. They also played in the 1928 Olympic final against Uruguay.

Argentina played in the very first World Cup final in 1930, but lost to Uruguay. Their next final was in 1978, where they won their first World Cup by beating the Netherlands 3–1. Eight years later, in 1986, with Diego Maradona as captain, Argentina won their second World Cup against West Germany. They reached the final again in 1990 but lost to West Germany.

In 2014, with Lionel Messi as captain, Argentina played in their fifth final, losing to Germany. In 2022, again led by Messi, they won their third World Cup by beating France in a penalty shootout after a 3–3 draw. The coaches who led Argentina to World Cup wins are César Luis Menotti (1978), Carlos Bilardo (1986), and Lionel Scaloni (2022).

Argentina has also been very successful in the Copa América, winning a record 16 titles, including the 2024 edition. They are the only country to win the Copa América three times in a row (1945, 1946, and 1947). Argentina also won the first FIFA Confederations Cup in 1992 and has won the CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions twice (1993 and 2022). They also won the Panamerican Championship in 1960. With 23 official titles, Argentina holds the record for most senior official titles won.

Argentine players Guillermo Stábile (1930) and Mario Kempes (1978) were the top scorers at their World Cups. Since 1982, the Golden Ball award for the best player has been won by Argentines three times: Maradona in 1986, and Messi in 2014 and 2022. Lionel Messi holds the record for most games played (193) and most goals scored (112) for Argentina. As of 2025, Argentina is ranked 1st in the FIFA Men's World Ranking.

Argentina has strong rivalries with Brazil, England, Germany, the Netherlands, Uruguay, and France.

Team History

Argentina's very first match was against Uruguay on July 20, 1902, in Montevideo. Argentina won that game 6–0. For many years, Argentina only played friendly matches against other South American teams. This was partly because travel between countries was difficult, and also due to World War I.

La Albiceleste has played in six FIFA World Cup finals. They lost the first final in 1930 to Uruguay. Argentina won their next final in 1978, beating the Netherlands 3–1. In 1986, led by Diego Maradona, Argentina won their second title against West Germany. Four years later, in 1990, Maradona again led Argentina to the final, but they lost to West Germany.

With Lionel Messi as captain, Argentina reached the final in 2014, where they lost to Germany. Argentina won their third FIFA World Cup in 2022 by beating France in a penalty shootout. The World Cup-winning coaches were César Luis Menotti (1978), Carlos Bilardo (1986), and Lionel Scaloni (2022).

Argentina has also won the Copa América 16 times, most recently in 2024. They also won the first 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 Stadiums

Estadio Monumental, a common stadium for Argentina's home games

Argentina plays most of its home games at Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires. This is the home stadium of River Plate. The team also uses other stadiums like Estadio Único Madre de Ciudades and Boca Juniors' stadium, La Bombonera. These stadiums, along with Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes and Estadio San Juan del Bicentenario, were used for the 2022 World Cup qualification matches.

GEBA Stadium was the first stadium Argentina used for home games. On September 13, 1908, Argentina wore their famous light blue and white-striped jersey for the first time in an official match at GEBA. This jersey has been their main uniform ever since.

Another important stadium was Estadio Sportivo Barracas, used from 1920 to 1932. In 1924, a player named Cesáreo Onzari scored a goal directly from a corner kick there. This was the first time this happened in football, and such goals are now called Olympic goals.

Team Look

Jerseys and Kits

The classic light blue and white-striped jersey, first worn in an official match in 1908

When Argentina played their first official match in 1902, they wore a light blue shirt. On July 2, 1908, they first wore a white jersey with light blue vertical stripes. This striped jersey became their official kit from September 13, 1908, and they have used it ever since. The team's away kits are usually dark blue, with different colors for shorts and socks over time.

Argentina has worn special kits too. In 1919, they wore a light blue kit similar to Uruguay's to honor a Uruguayan goalkeeper who had passed away. At the 1958 World Cup, Argentina even wore the yellow jersey of a Swedish club because they didn't have their away kit with them.

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, manager Carlos Bilardo needed lighter blue shirts for a game against England. Since their kit supplier couldn't provide them quickly, a staff member bought 38 plain shirts in Mexico City. They added a simple AFA emblem and ironed on numbers. In this makeshift jersey, Argentina beat England, with Diego Maradona scoring his famous "Hand of God goal" and another amazing goal. This shirt became very famous.

At the 2018 World Cup, Argentina used a black away kit for the first time. In the 2022 World Cup, they wore a purple away kit for the first time in a competitive match.

Kit Suppliers Over Time

Some of Argentina's historic jerseys on display in 2022

Kit Supplier	Period
St. Margaret	1901–1924
Gath & Chaves	1925–1934
Industria Lanús	1958–1963
Noceto Sports	1964–1965
Sportlandia	1966
Industria Lanús	1967–1973
Adidas	1974–1979
Le Coq Sportif	1980–1989
Adidas	1990–1998
Reebok	1999–2001
Adidas	2002–present

Team Crest

The AFA emblem added to jerseys in 1976

Argentina has used the logo of the Argentine Football Association (AFA) as its team emblem. It first appeared on team jackets at the 1958 World Cup. The emblem was added to the jerseys on November 16, 1976. At first, the crest didn't have a laurel wreath, which was added for the 1982 World Cup.

Two stars were added above the crest in 2004 to show Argentina's World Cup wins in 1978 and 1986. In 2022, a third star was added after Argentina won their third World Cup.

Recent Matches

Here are the results of Argentina's matches in the last year, and upcoming games.

      Win       Draw       Loss       Fixture

2024 Matches

Argentina  v  Chile

5 September 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification	Argentina	3–0	Chile	Buenos Aires, Argentina
21:00 ART (UTC−3)	Mac Allister  48' Alvarez  84' Dybala  90+1'			Stadium: Más Monumental Attendance: 52,160 Referee: Jesús Valenzuela (Venezuela)

Colombia  v  Argentina

10 September 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification	Colombia	2–1	Argentina	Barranquilla, Colombia
17:30 COT (UTC−5)	Mosquera  25' Rodríguez  60' (pen.)		González  48'	Stadium: Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez Attendance: 45,000 Referee: Piero Maza (Chile)

Venezuela  v  Argentina

10 October 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification	Venezuela	1–1	Argentina	Maturín, Venezuela
17:00 VEN (UTC−4)	Rondón  65'		Otamendi  13'	Stadium: Estadio Monumental Attendance: 50,000 Referee: Gustavo Tejera (Uruguay)

Argentina  v  Bolivia

15 October 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification	Argentina	6–0	Bolivia	Buenos Aires, Argentina
21:00 ARG (UTC−3)	Messi  19', 84', 86' La. Martínez  43' Alvarez  45+3' Almada  69'			Stadium: Más Monumental Attendance: 60,000 Referee: Kevin Ortega (Peru)

Paraguay  v  Argentina

14 November 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification	Paraguay	2–1	Argentina	Asunción, Paraguay
20:30 PAR (UTC−3)	Sanabria  19' Alderete  47'		La. Martínez  11'	Stadium: Estadio Defensores del Chaco Attendance: 32,200 Referee: Anderson Daronco (Brazil)

Argentina  v  Peru

19 November 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification	Argentina	1–0	Peru	Buenos Aires, Argentina
21:45 ARG (UTC−3)	La. Martínez  55'			Stadium: La Bombonera Attendance: 52,000 Referee: Wilmar Roldán (Colombia)

2025 Matches

Uruguay  v  Argentina

21 March 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification	Uruguay	0–1	Argentina	Montevideo, Uruguay
20:30 URU (UTC−3)			Almada  68'	Stadium: Estadio Centenario Attendance: 55,000 Referee: Juan Gabriel Benítez (Paraguay)

Argentina  v  Brazil

25 March 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification	Argentina	4–1	Brazil	Buenos Aires, Argentina
21:00 ARG (UTC−3)	Alvarez  4' Fernández  12' Mac Allister  37' Simeone  71'		Cunha  26'	Stadium: Estadio Monumental Attendance: 85,015 Referee: Andrés Rojas (Colombia)

Chile  v  Argentina

5 June 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification	Chile	0–1	Argentina	Santiago, Chile
21:00 CHI (UTC−4)			Alvarez  16'	Stadium: Estadio Nacional Julio Martínez Prádanos Attendance: 45,000 Referee: Jesús Valenzuela (Venezuela)

Argentina  v  Colombia

10 June 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification	Argentina	1–1	Colombia	Buenos Aires, Argentina
21:00 ARG (UTC−3)	Almada  81'		Diaz  24'	Stadium: Estadio Monumental Attendance: 77,791 Referee: Juan Gabriel Benítez (Paraguay)

Argentina  v  Venezuela

4 September 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification	Argentina	v	Venezuela	Buenos Aires, Argentina
20:30 ARG (UTC−3)				Stadium: Estadio Monumental

Ecuador  v  Argentina

9 September 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification	Ecuador	v	Argentina	Guayaquil, Ecuador
18:00 ECU (UTC−5)				Stadium: Estadio Monumental Isidro Romero Carbo

Argentina  v  Uzbekistan

October Friendly	Argentina	v	Uzbekistan	China

China  v  Argentina

October Friendly	China	v	Argentina	Guangzhou, China
--:-- CHN (UTC+8)				Stadium: Guangdong Olympic Stadium

2026 Matches

Singapore  v  Argentina

March Friendly	Singapore	v	Argentina	Kallang, Singapore
--:--				Stadium: Singapore National Stadium

Argentina  v  Spain

March 2026 Finalissima	Argentina	v	Spain	TBD
--:--				Stadium: TBD

Coaching Staff

Lionel Scaloni, Argentina's current head coach

Position	Name
Head coach	Lionel Scaloni
Assistant coach	Pablo Aimar
	Roberto Ayala
	Walter Samuel
Goalkeeping coach	Martín Tocalli
Fitness coach	Luis Martín
Video analyst	Matías Manna
Team coordinator	Nicolás Russo
Academy manager	Bernardo Romeo
Base camp coordinator	Oscar Dertycia
Goalkeeping coordinator	Mauro Dobler

Current Players

Team Roster

The players listed below were chosen for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying games against Chile and Colombia in June 2025.

Caps (games played) and goals are correct as of June 10, 2025, after the match against Colombia.

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
1	1GK	Walter Benítez	(1993-01-19) 19 January 1993 (age 32)	1	0	Crystal Palace
12	1GK	Gerónimo Rulli	(1992-05-20) 20 May 1992 (age 33)	6	0	Marseille
23	1GK	Emiliano Martínez	(1992-09-02) 2 September 1992 (age 32)	53	0	Aston Villa
2	2DF	Juan Foyth	(1998-01-12) 12 January 1998 (age 27)	20	0	Villarreal
3	2DF	Valentín Barco	(2004-07-23) 23 July 2004 (age 21)	2	0	Strasbourg
4	2DF	Facundo Medina	(1999-05-28) 28 May 1999 (age 26)	7	0	Marseille
6	2DF	Leonardo Balerdi	(1999-01-26) 26 January 1999 (age 26)	8	0	Marseille
13	2DF	Cristian Romero	(1998-04-27) 27 April 1998 (age 27)	44	3	Tottenham Hotspur
16	2DF	Nahuel Molina	(1998-04-06) 6 April 1998 (age 27)	52	1	Atlético Madrid
19	2DF	Nicolás Otamendi (vice-captain)	(1988-02-12) 12 February 1988 (age 37)	126	7	Benfica
5	3MF	Leandro Paredes	(1994-06-29) 29 June 1994 (age 31)	73	5	Boca Juniors
7	3MF	Rodrigo De Paul	(1994-05-24) 24 May 1994 (age 31)	78	2	Atlético Madrid
8	3MF	Enzo Fernández	(2001-01-17) 17 January 2001 (age 24)	37	5	Chelsea
11	3MF	Thiago Almada	(2001-04-26) 26 April 2001 (age 24)	10	4	Atlético Madrid
14	3MF	Exequiel Palacios	(1998-10-05) 5 October 1998 (age 26)	36	0	Bayer Leverkusen
18	3MF	Nico Paz	(2004-09-08) 8 September 2004 (age 20)	3	0	Como
20	3MF	Franco Mastantuono	(2007-08-14) 14 August 2007 (age 18)	1	0	Real Madrid
9	4FW	Julián Alvarez	(2000-01-31) 31 January 2000 (age 25)	46	13	Atlético Madrid
10	4FW	Lionel Messi (captain)	(1987-06-24) 24 June 1987 (age 38)	193	112	Inter Miami
15	4FW	Nicolás González	(1998-04-06) 6 April 1998 (age 27)	43	6	Juventus
17	4FW	Giuliano Simeone	(2002-12-18) 18 December 2002 (age 22)	5	1	Atlético Madrid
21	4FW	Ángel Correa	(1995-03-09) 9 March 1995 (age 30)	28	3	UANL
22	4FW	Lautaro Martínez	(1997-08-22) 22 August 1997 (age 28)	70	32	Internazionale

Other Players Called Up Recently

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 31)	2	0	Atlético Madrid	v.  Bolivia, 15 October 2024
DF	Nicolás Tagliafico	(1992-08-31) 31 August 1992 (age 32)	70	1	Lyon	v.  Chile, 5 June 2025 SUS
DF	Kevin Lomónaco	(2002-01-08) 8 January 2002 (age 23)	0	0	Independiente	v.  Chile, 5 June 2025
DF	Mariano Troilo	(2003-06-22) 22 June 2003 (age 22)	0	0	Belgrano	v.  Chile, 5 June 2025
DF	Germán Pezzella	(1991-06-27) 27 June 1991 (age 34)	42	3	River Plate	v.  Brazil, 25 March 2025
DF	Gonzalo Montiel	(1997-01-01) 1 January 1997 (age 28)	36	1	River Plate	v.  Uruguay, 21 March 2025 INJ
DF	Nehuén Pérez	(2000-06-24) 24 June 2000 (age 25)	3	0	Porto	v.  Peru, 19 November 2024
DF	Francisco Ortega	(1999-03-19) 19 March 1999 (age 26)	0	0	Olympiacos	v.  Peru, 19 November 2024
DF	Lisandro Martínez	(1998-01-18) 18 January 1998 (age 27)	26	1	Manchester United	v.  Paraguay, 14 November 2024 INJ
DF	Julio Soler	(2005-02-16) 16 February 2005 (age 20)	0	0	Bournemouth	v.  Bolivia, 15 October 2024
DF	Marcos Acuña	(1991-10-28) 28 October 1991 (age 33)	61	0	River Plate	v.  Venezuela, 10 October 2024 INJ
MF	Giovani Lo Celso	(1996-04-09) 9 April 1996 (age 29)	61	3	Real Betis	v.  Chile, 5 June 2025 INJ
MF	Emiliano Buendía	(1996-12-25) 25 December 1996 (age 28)	1	0	Aston Villa	v.  Chile, 5 June 2025
MF	Enzo Barrenechea	(2001-05-11) 11 May 2001 (age 24)	0	0	Benfica	v.  Chile, 5 June 2025
MF	Alexis Mac Allister	(1998-12-24) 24 December 1998 (age 26)	38	4	Liverpool	v.  Brazil, 25 March 2025 INJ
MF	Máximo Perrone	(2003-01-07) 7 January 2003 (age 22)	0	0	Como	v.  Brazil, 25 March 2025
MF	Alejandro Garnacho	(2004-07-01) 1 July 2004 (age 21)	8	0	Manchester United	v.  Peru, 19 November 2024
MF	Facundo Buonanotte	(2004-12-23) 23 December 2004 (age 20)	2	0	Brighton & Hove Albion	v.  Peru, 19 November 2024
MF	Guido Rodríguez	(1994-04-12) 12 April 1994 (age 31)	30	1	West Ham United	v.  Colombia, 10 September 2024
MF	Equi Fernández	(2002-07-25) 25 July 2002 (age 23)	0	0	Al-Qadsiah	v.  Colombia, 10 September 2024
FW	Santiago Castro	(2004-09-18) 18 September 2004 (age 20)	0	0	Bologna	v.  Brazil, 25 March 2025
FW	Benjamín Domínguez	(2003-09-19) 19 September 2003 (age 21)	0	0	Bologna	v.  Brazil, 25 March 2025
FW	Paulo Dybala	(1993-11-15) 15 November 1993 (age 31)	40	4	Roma	v.  Uruguay, 21 March 2025 INJ
FW	Valentín Castellanos	(1998-10-03) 3 October 1998 (age 26)	2	0	Lazio	v.  Peru, 19 November 2024
FW	Valentín Carboni	(2005-03-05) 5 March 2005 (age 20)	3	0	Genoa	v.  Venezuela, 10 October 2024 INJ
FW	Matías Soulé	(2003-04-15) 15 April 2003 (age 22)	0	0	Roma	v.  Colombia, 10 September 2024
Notes RET = Retired from the national team. INJ = Withdrew due to injury.

Player Records and Achievements

Players in bold are still playing for Argentina.

Most Games Played

Argentina national football team records and statistics

Top Goal Scorers

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

Team Performance in Competitions

Argentina national football team records and statistics

Head-to-Head Records

Argentina national football team records and statistics

Team Rivalries

Argentina vs. Brazil

Argentina and Brazil have a very strong rivalry, one of the oldest in South America. Their matches are often exciting and sometimes controversial. This rivalry is even called the "Battle of the Americas." FIFA has described it as the "essence of football rivalry."

The rivalry also includes debates about who is better: Pelé (Brazil) or Diego Maradona (Argentina). In modern football, the main players compared are Neymar (Brazil) and Lionel Messi (Argentina). Both Pelé and Maradona have said that Neymar and Messi are their "successors."

Argentina vs. England

The rivalry between Argentina and England started at the 1966 World Cup and became even stronger after the Falklands War in 1982. They have played many important games in World Cup tournaments. One famous match was the quarter-final in 1986, where Diego Maradona scored two goals. One was the famous "Hand of God goal" (a handball that was allowed), and the other was a brilliant goal where he dribbled past five English players.

They met again in the 1998 World Cup (Argentina won on penalties) and in the 2002 World Cup group stage (England won 1–0).

Argentina vs. Germany

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

Argentina has played Germany seven times in the FIFA World Cup, including three World Cup finals. In 1986, Argentina won 3–2. However, in 1990 and 2014, Germany won both finals 1–0.

Their first World Cup meeting was in 1958, where Argentina lost to West Germany. In 1966, they drew 0–0. In 2006, they met in the quarter-finals, and Argentina lost on penalties. They met again at the same stage in 2010, with Germany winning 4–0. Their third straight World Cup meeting was the final in Brazil 2014, where Germany won in extra time.

Argentina vs. Uruguay

Argentina has a long-standing rivalry with its neighbor, Uruguay. This rivalry began with early South American Championships, the 1928 Summer Olympics, and the first World Cup final in 1930.

Argentina and Uruguay have played the most international matches between any two countries, facing each other 197 times since 1902. Their first match was also the first official international football game played outside the United Kingdom.

Argentina vs. Netherlands

Sports media considers Argentina and the Netherlands to be two historically great teams, and they have a strong rivalry. They have played ten times in total, including six times in the World Cup.

Their first match was a friendly in 1974, which the Netherlands won 4–1. Their most important game was the 1978 World Cup final, which Argentina won. One of their most recent and intense matches was at the 2022 World Cup, a 2–2 draw where Argentina won on penalties. This game is known as the Battle of Lusail.

Argentina vs. Mexico

Argentina has a smaller rivalry with Mexico, which grew in the 1990s. Argentines generally don't see Mexico as a major rival like Brazil or Germany. Their first official match was at the 1930 World Cup, where Argentina beat Mexico 6–3. The rivalry became more noticeable after the 1993 Copa América final, which Argentina won 2–1. This was the first time a non-CONMEBOL team played in a Copa América final.

The rivalry has also appeared in club competitions, especially when Mexican clubs played in the Copa Libertadores against Argentine teams like Boca Juniors. During the 2022 World Cup, there were some fights between Mexican and Argentine fans before and after their match in Doha.

Team Honors

Worldwide Titles

• FIFA World Cup
  • Champions (3): 1978, 1986, 2022
  • Runners-up (3): 1930, 1990, 2014
• Olympic Games
  • Silver medal (1): 1928
• FIFA Confederations Cup
  • Champions (1): 1992
  • Runners-up (2): 1995, 2005

Intercontinental Titles

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

Continental Titles

• Copa América
  • Champions (16): 1921, 1925, 1927, 1929, 1937, 1941, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1955, 1957, 1959, 1991, 1993, 2021, 2024 (record)
  • Runners-up (14): 1916, 1917, 1920, 1923, 1924, 1926, 1935, 1942, 1959, 1967, 2004, 2007, 2015, 2016
  • Third place (5): 1919, 1956, 1963, 1989, 2019
• Panamerican Championship¹
  • Champions (1): 1960
  • Runners-up (1): 1956

Friendly Competition Wins

• 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, 1920 (record)
• Copa Centenario Revolución de Mayo (1): 1910
• Copa Premier Honor Uruguayo (5): 1915, 1916, 1917, 1923, 1924
• Roca Cup (4): 1923, 1939, 1940, 1971 (shared)
• Copa Juan Mignaburu (5): 1935, 1936, 1938, 1940, 1943 (record)
• Copa Héctor Rivadavia Gómez (3): 1935, 1936, 1943 (record)
• Nations' Cup (1): 1964
• Kirin Cup (2): 1992, 2003
• Copa Times of India (1): 2011
• Superclásico de las Américas (2): 2017, 2019
• San Juan Cup (1): 2019

Awards and Recognitions

• FIFA Team of the Year (4): 2007, 2016, 2023, 2024
• Laureus World Sports Award for Team of the Year (1): 2023
• World Soccer World Team of the Year (2): 1986, 2022
• Gazzetta Sports World Team of the Year (2): 1978, 1986
• Guerin Sportivo Team of the Year (1): 1986
• FIFA World Cup Fair Play Trophy (1): 1978
• Copa America Fair Play Award (1): 2016
• AIPS Team of the Year (2): 2022, 2023

Timeline of Major Titles

Host Nation	Tournament	Year	Number
Argentina	Copa América	1921	1st
		1925	2nd
Peru		1927	3rd
Argentina		1929	4th
		1937	5th
Chile		1941	6th
		1945	7th
Argentina		1946	8th
Ecuador		1947	9th
Chile		1955	10th
Peru		1957	11th
Argentina		1959	12th
Costa Rica	Panamerican Championship	1960	13th
Argentina	World Cup	1978	14th
Mexico		1986	15th
Chile	Copa América	1991	16th
Saudi Arabia	Confederations Cup	1992	17th
Argentina	CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions	1993	18th
Ecuador	Copa América	1993	19th
Brazil		2021	20th
England	CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions	2022	21st
Qatar	World Cup	2022	22nd
United States	Copa América	2024	23rd

Summary of Major Titles

Senior Competition				Total
FIFA World Cup	3	3	0	6
FIFA Confederations Cup	1	2	0	3
Olympic Games	0	1	0	1
CONMEBOL Copa América	16	14	5	35
Panamerican Championship1	1	1	0	2
CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions	2	0	0	2
Total	23	21	5	49

Notes

1. Official senior competition organized by PFC. This was a group of football associations from North, Central, and South America.

See also

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