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Argentina national football team facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
This page is about the men's team. For the women's team, see Argentina women's national football team.
Quick facts for kids
Argentina
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s) 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 (180)
Top scorer Lionel Messi (106)
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 – April 2017, April 2023 –)
Lowest 20 (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)
 Bolivia 6–1 Argentina 
(La Paz, Bolivia; 1 April 2009)
 Spain 6–1 Argentina 
(Madrid, Spain; 27 March 2018)
World Cup
Appearances 19 (first in 1930)
Best result Champions (1978, 1986, 2022)
Copa América
Appearances 43 (first in 1916)
Best result Champions (1921, 1925, 1927, 1929, 1937, 1941, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1955, 1957, 1959, 1991, 1993, 2021)
Panamerican Championship
Appearances 2 (first in 1956)
Best result Champions (1960)
CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions
Appearances 2 (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
FIFA Confederations Cup
Gold 1992 Argentina Team
Silver 1995 Argentina Team
Silver 2005 Argentina 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
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
CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions
Gold 1993 Argentina Team
Gold 2022 England Team

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

Nicknamed La Albiceleste ('The White and Sky Blue'), 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. 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. Argentines Guillermo Stábile in 1930 and Mario Kempes in 1978 were the top-scoring players at their respective World Cups.

Argentina has also been very successful in the Copa América, winning it 15 times, a record shared with Uruguay, most recently winning the 2021 edition. The team won the inaugural FIFA Confederations Cup in 1992. Argentina is the most successful team in the CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions, having won it twice, in 1993 and 2022. Argentina is known for having rivalries with Brazil, Uruguay, England, Germany and the Netherlands. As of 2024, Argentina holds the record for most official titles won by a men's national team with 22. Individually for Argentina, Lionel Messi is the all-time most-capped player with 180 games and the highest goalscorer with 106 goals. As of December 2023, Argentina ranks 1st by FIFA.

History

Main page: History of the Argentina national football team
For more details, see Football in Argentina

The first ever match Argentina played was against Uruguay on 20 June 1902. The game, 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 15 times, a record it shares with Uruguay; they were crowned champions most recently in 2021. 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 game, 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 game 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 game 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 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, they wore a purple away kit in a competitive game for the first time.

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 page: 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

2023

2024

Coaching staff

Position Name
Manager Argentina Lionel Scaloni
Assistant manager Argentina Pablo Aimar
Argentina Roberto Ayala
Assistant coach Argentina Walter Samuel
Assistant coach (analyst) Argentina Matías Manna
Goalkeeping coach Argentina Martín Tocalli
Fitness coach Argentina Luis Martín

Manager history

Main page: List of Argentina national football team managers
  • Sources:
  • Argentina Pedro Calomino (1921)
  • Argentina Ángel Vázquez (1924–1925)
  • Spain José Lago Millán (1927–1928)
  • Argentina Francisco Olazar (1929)
  • Argentina Francisco Olazar & Argentina Juan J. Tramutola (1929–1930)
  • Italy Felipe Pascucci (1934)
  • Argentina Manuel Seoane (1935–1937)
  • Argentina Ángel Fernández Roca (1937–1939)
  • Argentina Guillermo Stábile (1939–1958)
  • Argentina José Manuel Moreno (1959)
  • Argentina Guillermo Stábile (1960)
  • Argentina Victorio Spinetto (1960–1961)
  • Argentina José D'Amico (1962)
  • Argentina Juan Carlos Lorenzo (1962)
  • Argentina Néstor Rossi (1962)
  • Argentina Jim López (1962)
  • Argentina Horacio A. Torres (1963–1964)
  • Argentina José D'Amico (1964)
  • Argentina José María Minella (1964–1965)
  • Argentina Osvaldo Zubeldía (1965)
  • Argentina Juan Carlos Lorenzo (1966)
  • Argentina Jim López (1967)
  • Argentina Carmelo Faraone (1967)
  • Argentina Renato Cesarini (1967–1968)
  • Argentina José María Minella (1968)
  • Argentina Humberto Maschio (1968–1969)
  • Argentina Adolfo Pedernera (1969)
  • Argentina Juan José Pizzuti (1970–1972)
  • Argentina Omar Sívori (1972–1973)
  • Argentina Vladislao Cap (1974)
  • Argentina César Menotti (1974–1982)
  • Argentina Carlos Bilardo (1983–1990)
  • Argentina Alfio Basile (1990–1994)
  • Argentina Daniel Passarella (1994–1998)
  • Argentina Marcelo Bielsa (1998–2004)
  • Argentina José Pékerman (2004–2006)
  • Argentina Alfio Basile (2006–2008)
  • Argentina Diego Maradona (2008–2010)
  • Argentina Sergio Batista (2010–2011)
  • Argentina Alejandro Sabella (2011–2014)
  • Argentina Gerardo Martino (2014–2016)
  • Argentina Edgardo Bauza (2016–2017)
  • Argentina Jorge Sampaoli (2017–2018)
  • Argentina Lionel Scaloni (2018–present)

Players

See also: List of Argentina international footballers

Current squad

The following 26 players were named in the squad for the US March Tour matches against El Salvador and Costa Rica on 22 and 26 March 2024, respectively. On 5 March, Marcos Senesi was withdrawn from the squad due to an injury in the right hamstring and was replaced by Nicolás Valentini. On 12 March, Lisandro Martínez was added to the squad. On 16 March, both Paulo Dybala and Lionel Messi were withdrawn from the squad due to an injury in the right adductor and an injury in the right hamstring respectively. On 18 March, Exequiel Palacios was withdrawn from the squad due to a muscular injury and was replaced by Guido Rodríguez.

Caps and goals are correct as of 26 March 2024, after the match against Costa Rica.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Franco Armani (1986-10-16) 16 October 1986 (age 37) 19 0 Argentina River Plate
12 1GK Walter Benítez (1993-01-19) 19 January 1993 (age 31) 1 0 Netherlands PSV Eindhoven
23 1GK Emiliano Martínez (1992-09-02) 2 September 1992 (age 31) 37 0 England Aston Villa
2 2DF Nehuén Pérez (2000-06-24) 24 June 2000 (age 23) 2 0 Italy Udinese
3 2DF Nicolás Tagliafico (1992-08-31) 31 August 1992 (age 31) 57 1 France Lyon
4 2DF Nahuel Molina (1998-04-06) 6 April 1998 (age 26) 37 1 Spain Atlético Madrid
6 2DF Germán Pezzella (1991-06-27) 27 June 1991 (age 32) 40 3 Spain Real Betis
13 2DF Cristian Romero (1998-04-27) 27 April 1998 (age 25) 30 3 England Tottenham Hotspur
19 2DF Nicolás Otamendi (1988-02-12) 12 February 1988 (age 36) 111 6 Portugal Benfica
25 2DF Nicolás Valentini (2001-04-06) 6 April 2001 (age 23) 0 0 Argentina Boca Juniors
26 2DF Valentín Barco (2004-07-23) 23 July 2004 (age 19) 1 0 England Brighton & Hove Albion
5 3MF Leandro Paredes (1994-06-29) 29 June 1994 (age 29) 60 5 Italy Roma
7 3MF Rodrigo De Paul (1994-05-24) 24 May 1994 (age 29) 62 2 Spain Atlético Madrid
8 3MF Enzo Fernández (2001-01-17) 17 January 2001 (age 23) 21 4 England Chelsea
14 3MF Facundo Buonanotte (2004-12-23) 23 December 2004 (age 19) 2 0 England Brighton & Hove Albion
16 3MF Giovani Lo Celso (1996-04-09) 9 April 1996 (age 28) 50 3 England Tottenham Hotspur
18 3MF Guido Rodríguez (1994-04-12) 12 April 1994 (age 30) 29 1 Spain Real Betis
20 3MF Alexis Mac Allister (1998-12-24) 24 December 1998 (age 25) 25 2 England Liverpool
24 3MF Valentín Carboni (2005-03-05) 5 March 2005 (age 19) 1 0 Italy Monza
9 4FW Julián Álvarez (2000-01-31) 31 January 2000 (age 24) 29 7 England Manchester City
11 4FW Ángel Di María (vice-captain) (1988-02-14) 14 February 1988 (age 36) 138 30 Portugal Benfica
15 4FW Nicolás González (1998-04-06) 6 April 1998 (age 26) 32 5 Italy Fiorentina
17 4FW Alejandro Garnacho (2004-07-01) 1 July 2004 (age 19) 5 0 England Manchester United
22 4FW Lautaro Martínez (1997-08-22) 22 August 1997 (age 26) 56 22 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 29) 2 0 Italy Atalanta v.  Brazil, 21 November 2023
GK Gerónimo Rulli (1992-05-20) 20 May 1992 (age 31) 4 0 Netherlands Ajax v.  Indonesia, 19 June 2023
DF Lisandro Martínez (1998-01-18) 18 January 1998 (age 26) 16 0 England Manchester United v.  El Salvador, 22 March 2024 INJ
DF Marcos Senesi (1997-05-10) 10 May 1997 (age 26) 1 0 England Bournemouth v.  El Salvador, 22 March 2024 INJ
DF Marcos Acuña (1991-10-28) 28 October 1991 (age 32) 56 0 Spain Sevilla v.  Brazil, 21 November 2023
DF Gonzalo Montiel (1997-01-01) 1 January 1997 (age 27) 24 1 England Nottingham Forest v.  Brazil, 21 November 2023
DF Lucas Martínez Quarta (1996-05-10) 10 May 1996 (age 27) 12 0 Italy Fiorentina v.  Brazil, 21 November 2023
DF Pablo Maffeo (1997-07-12) 12 July 1997 (age 26) 0 0 Spain Mallorca v.  Brazil, 21 November 2023
DF Francisco Ortega (1999-03-19) 19 March 1999 (age 25) 0 0 Greece Olympiacos v.  Brazil, 21 November 2023
DF Facundo Medina (1999-05-28) 28 May 1999 (age 24) 3 0 France Lens v.  Peru, 17 October 2023
DF Juan Foyth (1998-01-12) 12 January 1998 (age 26) 18 0 Spain Villarreal v.  Paraguay, 12 October 2023 INJ
DF Marco Pellegrino (2002-07-18) 18 July 2002 (age 21) 0 0 Italy Milan v.  Paraguay, 12 October 2023 at U23
DF Lucas Esquivel (2001-10-14) 14 October 2001 (age 22) 0 0 Brazil Athletico Paranaense v.  Paraguay, 12 October 2023 at U23
DF Leonardo Balerdi (1999-01-26) 26 January 1999 (age 25) 2 0 France Marseille v.  Indonesia, 19 June 2023
MF Exequiel Palacios (1998-10-05) 5 October 1998 (age 25) 28 0 Germany Bayer Leverkusen v.  El Salvador, 22 March 2024 INJ
MF Thiago Almada (2001-04-26) 26 April 2001 (age 22) 4 1 United States Atlanta United v.  Paraguay, 12 October 2023 at U23
MF Carlos Alcaraz (2002-11-30) 30 November 2002 (age 21) 0 0 Italy Juventus v.  Paraguay, 12 October 2023 at U23
MF Facundo Farías (2002-08-28) 28 August 2002 (age 21) 0 0 United States Inter Miami v.  Paraguay, 12 October 2023 at U23
MF Bruno Zapelli (2002-05-17) 17 May 2002 (age 21) 0 0 Brazil Athletico Paranaense v.  Paraguay, 12 October 2023 at U23
FW Lionel Messi (1987-06-24) 24 June 1987 (age 36) 180 106 United States Inter Miami v.  El Salvador, 22 March 2024 INJ
FW Paulo Dybala (1993-11-15) 15 November 1993 (age 30) 38 3 Italy Roma v.  El Salvador, 22 March 2024 INJ
FW Lucas Ocampos (1994-07-11) 11 July 1994 (age 29) 12 2 Spain Sevilla v.  Brazil, 21 November 2023
FW Lucas Beltrán (2001-03-29) 29 March 2001 (age 23) 0 0 Italy Fiorentina v.  Peru, 17 October 2023
FW Ángel Correa (1995-03-09) 9 March 1995 (age 29) 24 3 Spain Atlético Madrid v.  Bolivia, 12 September 2023
FW Alan Velasco (2002-07-27) 27 July 2002 (age 21) 0 0 United States FC Dallas v.  Ecuador, 7 September 2023 at U23
FW Giovanni Simeone (1995-07-05) 5 July 1995 (age 28) 6 1 Italy Napoli v.  Indonesia, 19 June 2023

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 Argentina Under 23 National Football Team

Individual records and achievements

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

Most-capped players

Lionel-Messi-Argentina-2022-FIFA-World-Cup
Lionel Messi is Argentina's most-capped player ever and also its all-time top scorer.
Rank Player Caps Goals Career
1 Lionel Messi 180 106 2005–present
2 Javier Mascherano 147 3 2003–2018
3 Javier Zanetti 145 5 1994–2011
4 Ángel Di María 138 30 2008–present
5 Roberto Ayala 115 7 1994–2007
6 Nicolás Otamendi 111 6 2009–present
7 Diego Simeone 104 11 1988–2002
8 Sergio Agüero 101 41 2006–2021
9 Oscar Ruggeri 97 7 1983–1994
10 Sergio Romero 96 0 2009–2018

Top goalscorers

Rank Player Goals Caps Ratio Career
1 Lionel Messi (list) 106 180 0.59 2005–present
2 Gabriel Batistuta (list) 56 78 0.72 1991–2002
3 Sergio Agüero 41 101 0.41 2006–2021
4 Hernán Crespo 35 64 0.55 1995–2007
5 Diego Maradona (list) 34 91 0.37 1977–1994
6 Gonzalo Higuaín 31 75 0.41 2009–2018
7 Ángel Di María 30 138 0.21 2008–present
8 Luis Artime 24 25 0.96 1961–1967
9 Leopoldo Luque 22 45 0.49 1975–1981
Daniel Passarella 22 70 0.31 1976–1986
Lautaro Martínez 22 56 0.39 2018–present

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 180 106

Caps

Goals

  • Most goals scored: 106, Lionel Messi, 2005–
  • Youngest goalscorer: Diego Maradona, 18 years, 7 months and 4 days old in 1979 against Scotland
  • Youngest player to score in a FIFA World Cup match: Lionel Messi, 18 years and 358 days, against Serbia and Montenegro in 2006
  • Oldest goalscorer: Martín Palermo, 36 years and 7 months old in 2010 against Greece
  • Most goals scored in a single match: 5 – Manuel Seoane in 1925, Juan Marvezzi in 1941, Lionel Messi in 2022
  • Most goals scored in a calendar year: 18 – Lionel Messi in 2022
  • Most goals scored at FIFA World Cup matches : 13 – Lionel Messi
  • Most goals scored at CONMEBOL FIFA World Cup Qualification matches: 31 – Lionel Messi
  • Most assists provided in all international competitions, including friendlies: 56 – Lionel Messi
  • Most direct free kick goals at CONMEBOL FIFA World Cup Qualification matches: 4 – Juan Roman Riquelme and Lionel Messi

Manager records

  • Most games coached: 127, Guillermo Stábile. During his tenure, he won the South American Championship six times with Argentina, in 1941, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1955 and 1957.

World Cup awards and achievements

World Cup Golden Ball

The World Cup Golden Ball has been given by FIFA to the best player at the World Cup since 1982; Argentina players have won it thrice; Maradona in 1986 and Messi in 2014 and 2022.

World Cup top goalscorer

Guillermo Stábile in 1930 and Mario Kempes in 1978 were both the top-scoring players at their respective World Cups.

World Cup Golden Glove

The best goalkeeper at the World Cup is awarded the FIFA World Cup Golden Glove. In 2022 this award was won by Emiliano Martínez.

World Cup Young Player Award

The best player at the World Cup who is no older than 21 during the calendar year of the tournament is awarded the FIFA World Cup Young Player Award. In 2022 this award was won by Enzo Fernández.

Competitive record

     Champions       Runners-up       Third place     Tournament played fully or partially on home soil  

FIFA World Cup

Main page: Argentina at the FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup record Qualification record
Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA Squad Pld W D L GF GA
Uruguay 1930 Runners-up 2nd 5 4 0 1 18 9 Squad Qualified as invitees
Italy 1934 Round of 16 9th 1 0 0 1 2 3 Squad Qualified automatically
France 1938 Withdrew Withdrew
Brazil 1950
Switzerland 1954
Sweden 1958 Group stage 13th 3 1 0 2 5 10 Squad 4 3 0 1 10 2
Chile 1962 Group stage 10th 3 1 1 1 2 3 Squad 2 2 0 0 11 3
England 1966 Quarter-finals 5th 4 2 1 1 4 2 Squad 4 3 1 0 9 2
Mexico 1970 Did not qualify 4 1 1 2 4 6
West Germany 1974 Second group stage 8th 6 1 2 3 9 12 Squad 4 3 1 0 9 2
Argentina 1978 Champions 1st 7 5 1 1 15 4 Squad Qualified as hosts
Spain 1982 Second group stage 11th 5 2 0 3 8 7 Squad Qualified as defending champions
Mexico 1986 Champions 1st 7 6 1 0 14 5 Squad 6 4 1 1 12 6
Italy 1990 Runners-up 2nd 7 2 3 2 5 4 Squad Qualified as defending champions
United States 1994 Round of 16 10th 4 2 0 2 8 6 Squad 8 4 2 2 9 10
France 1998 Quarter-finals 6th 5 3 1 1 10 4 Squad 16 8 6 2 23 13
South Korea Japan 2002 Group stage 18th 3 1 1 1 2 2 Squad 18 13 4 1 42 15
Germany 2006 Quarter-finals 6th 5 3 2 0 11 3 Squad 18 10 4 4 29 17
South Africa 2010 Quarter-finals 5th 5 4 0 1 10 6 Squad 18 8 4 6 23 20
Brazil 2014 Runners-up 2nd 7 5 1 1 8 4 Squad 16 9 5 2 35 15
Russia 2018 Round of 16 16th 4 1 1 2 6 9 Squad 18 7 7 4 19 16
Qatar 2022 Champions 1st 7 4 2 1 15 8 Squad 17 11 6 0 27 8
Canada Mexico United States 2026 Qualification in progress 5 4 0 1 7 2
Morocco Portugal Spain 2030 Qualified as commemorative match hosts Qualified as commemorative match hosts
Saudi Arabia 2034 To be determined To be determined
Total 3 Titles 18/22 88 47 17 24 152 101 — 158 90 42 26 269 137
*Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.

Copa América

Main page: Argentina at the Copa América
South American Championship / Copa América record
Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA Squad
Argentina 1916 Runners-up 2nd 3 1 2 0 7 2 Squad
Uruguay 1917 Runners-up 2nd 3 2 0 1 5 3 Squad
Brazil 1919 Third place 3rd 3 1 0 2 7 7 Squad
Chile 1920 Runners-up 2nd 3 1 2 0 4 2 Squad
Argentina 1921 Champions 1st 3 3 0 0 5 0 Squad
Brazil 1922 Fourth place 4th 4 2 0 2 6 3 Squad
Uruguay 1923 Runners-up 2nd 3 2 0 1 6 6 Squad
Uruguay 1924 Runners-up 2nd 3 1 2 0 2 0 Squad
Argentina 1925 Champions 1st 4 3 1 0 11 4 Squad
Chile 1926 Runners-up 2nd 4 2 1 1 14 3 Squad
Peru 1927 Champions 1st 3 3 0 0 15 4 Squad
Argentina 1929 Champions 1st 3 3 0 0 9 1 Squad
Peru 1935 Runners-up 2nd 3 2 0 1 8 5 Squad
Argentina 1937 Champions 1st 6 5 0 1 14 5 Squad
Peru 1939 Withdrew
Chile 1941 Champions 1st 4 4 0 0 10 2 Squad
Uruguay 1942 Runners-up 2nd 6 4 1 1 21 6 Squad
Chile 1945 Champions 1st 6 5 1 0 22 5 Squad
Argentina 1946 Champions 1st 5 5 0 0 17 3 Squad
Ecuador 1947 Champions 1st 7 6 1 0 28 4 Squad
Brazil 1949 Withdrew
Peru 1953
Chile 1955 Champions 1st 5 4 1 0 18 6 Squad
Uruguay1956 Third place 3rd 5 3 0 2 5 3 Squad
Peru 1957 Champions 1st 6 5 0 1 25 6 Squad
Argentina 1959 Champions 1st 6 5 1 0 19 5 Squad
Ecuador 1959 Runners-up 2nd 4 2 1 1 9 9 Squad
Bolivia 1963 Third place 3rd 6 3 1 2 15 10 Squad
Uruguay 1967 Runners-up 2nd 5 4 0 1 12 3 Squad
1975 Group stage 5th 4 2 0 2 17 4 Squad
1979 Group stage 8th 4 1 1 2 7 6 Squad
1983 Group stage 6th 4 1 3 0 5 4 Squad
Argentina 1987 Fourth place 4th 4 1 1 2 5 4 Squad
Brazil 1989 Third place 3rd 7 2 3 2 2 4 Squad
Chile 1991 Champions 1st 7 6 1 0 16 6 Squad
Ecuador 1993 Champions 1st 6 2 4 0 6 4 Squad
Uruguay 1995 Quarter-finals 5th 4 2 1 1 8 6 Squad
Bolivia 1997 Quarter-finals 6th 4 1 2 1 4 3 Squad
Paraguay 1999 Quarter-finals 8th 4 2 0 2 6 6 Squad
Colombia 2001 Withdrew
Peru 2004 Runners-up 2nd 6 4 1 1 16 6 Squad
Venezuela 2007 Runners-up 2nd 6 5 0 1 16 6 Squad
Argentina 2011 Quarter-finals 7th 4 1 3 0 5 2 Squad
Chile 2015 Runners-up 2nd 6 3 3 0 10 3 Squad
United States 2016 Runners-up 2nd 6 5 1 0 18 2 Squad
Brazil 2019 Third place 3rd 6 3 1 2 7 6 Squad
Brazil 2021 Champions 1st 7 5 2 0 12 3 Squad
United States 2024 Qualified
Total 15 Titles 43/47 202 127 42 33 474 182 —

FIFA Confederations Cup

FIFA Confederations Cup record
Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA Squad
Saudi Arabia 1992 Champions 1st 2 2 0 0 7 1 Squad
Saudi Arabia 1995 Runners-up 2nd 3 1 1 1 5 3 Squad
Saudi Arabia 1997 Did not qualify
Mexico 1999
South Korea Japan 2001
France 2003
Germany 2005 Runners-up 2nd 5 2 2 1 10 10 Squad
South Africa 2009 Did not qualify
Brazil 2013
Russia 2017
Total 1 Title 3/10 10 5 3 2 22 14 —

CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions

CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions record
Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA
France 1985 Did not qualify
Argentina 1993 Champions 1st 1 0 1 0 1 1
England 2022 Champions 1st 1 1 0 0 3 0
Total 2 Titles 2/3 2 1 1 0 4 1
*Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.

Olympic team

For Olympic records, see Argentina national under-23 football team.

Head-to-head record

Main page: Argentina national football team records and statistics

Below is a result summary of all matches Argentina has played against FIFA recognised teams.

      Positive record       Neutral record       Negative record

Rivalries

Brazil

Main page: Argentina–Brazil football rivalry

Argentina and Brazil have a fierce rivalry which is one of the oldest in South America. Games 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". According to CNN, Argentina-Brazil rivalry ranked second on their top 10 list of international football rivalries—only below the ancient England–Scotland 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 page: 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 FIFA 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 1990 it was the Germans who were the victors by a 1–0 scoreline.

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.

Uruguay

Main page: 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.

Mexico

Main page: Argentina–Mexico football rivalry

Argentina has a minor rivalry with Mexico, which developed in the 1990s. The rivalry is considered one-sided as a number of 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 on 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 v Boca Juniors.

During the 2022 FIFA World Cup held 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.

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 games, 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.

Netherlands

Main page: 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 FIFA World Cup tournament.

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 FIFA World Cup final which was won by Argentina. One of the most recent and intense meetings happened in the 2022 FIFA World Cup, a 2–2 draw where Argentina advanced on penalties, in what is known as the Battle of Lusail.

Honours

Senior team

Friendly

  • 1 Newton Cup (17): 1906, 1907, 1908, 1909, 1911, 1916, 1918, 1924, 1927, 1928, 1937, 1942, 1945, 1957, 1973, 1975, 1976 (record)
  • 1 Lipton Cup (18): 1906, 1907, 1908, 1909, 1913, 1915, 1916, 1917, 1918, 1928, 1937, 1942, 1945, 1957, 1962, 1968, 1976, 1992 (record)
  • 1 Copa Premier Honor Argentino (7): 1909, 1911, 1913, 1914,1918, 1919, 1980 (record)
  • 1 Copa Centenario Revolución de Mayo (1): 1910
  • 1 Copa Premier Honor Uruguayo (5): 1915, 1916, 1917, 1923, 1924
  • 1 Copa Juan Mignaburu (5): 1935, 1936, 1938, 1940, 1943 (record)
  • 1 Copa Héctor Rivadavia Gómez (3): 1935, 1936, 1943 (record)
  • 1 Roca Cup (4): 1923, 1939, 1940, 1971 (shared)
  • 1 Superclásico de las Américas (2): 2017, 2019
  • 1 Nations' Cup (1): 1964
  • 1 Kirin Cup (2): 1992, 2003
  • 1 Copa Times of India (1): 2011
  • 1 San Juan Cup (1): 2019

Awards

  • FIFA Team of the Year
    • Winners (3): 2007, 2016, 2023
  • FIFA World Cup Fair Play Trophy
  • Copa América Fair Play Trophy
  • Laureus World Sports Award for Team of the Year
    • Winners (1): 2023
  • World Soccer World Team of the Year
    • Winners (2): 1986, 2022
  • Gazzetta Sports World Team of the Year
    • Winners (2): 1978, 1986
  • AIPS Team of the Year
    • Winners (2): 2022, 2023
  • Unofficial Football World Championships
    • Winners (64)

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

Summary

Senior competition 1 2 3 Total
World Cup 3 3 0 6
Olympics Games 2 1 0 3
Confederations Cup 1 2 0 3
Copa América 15 14 5 34
Panamerican Championship 1 1 0 2
CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions 2 0 0 2
Total 24 21 5 50

See also

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

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