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.[11][12][13]
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 191 matches and the highest goalscorer with 112 goals. As of December 2024[update], Argentina ranks 1st in the FIFA Men's World Ranking.[14]
The first ever match Argentina played was against Uruguay on 20 June 1902.[note 2] The match, which was the first international for both sides, was held in Montevideo, and Argentina won 6–0.[3][6] 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.[21]
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.[22] The team's World Cup–winning managers are César Luis Menotti in 1978, Carlos Bilardo in 1986 and Lionel Scaloni in 2022.
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,[33] 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.[34] 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.[35]
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.[36][37][38] Sportivo Barracas was later demolished after 1936.[39]
Team image
Kit
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.[40][41] 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;[42] 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.[34] The team's away kits have been in dark blue shades, with the colours of shorts and socks varying from time to time.[43]
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;[44][45] 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.
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[46] and silvery American football numbers ironed to the backs.[47]
Sporting the makeshift jerseys, Argentina beat England on 22 June, with Diego Maradona scoring his famous "Hand of God goal".[48][49] Afterwards, the shirt became a symbol of the occasion and an important collector's item.[50]
At the 2018 World Cup in Russia, Argentina debuted a black away kit;[51] and at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, they wore a purple away kit in a competitive match for the first time.[52][53]
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
Some of Argentina's historic jerseys exhibited in 2022
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.[46] 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,[64] which was first added for the 1982 World Cup.[46]
As a respected and common practice,[65] two stars were added above the crest in 2004, symbolising Argentina's World Cup titles in 1978 and 1986.[64] In 2022, a third star was added after Argentina were crowned world champions for the third time.[66]
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
Argentina and Brazil have a fierce rivalry which is one of the oldest in South America.[73] 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".[74]
The rivalry has extended to comparisons between Pelé and Diego Maradona.[75][76] Some of their countrymen also feature regularly in such debates. The next most notable pair are perhaps Garrincha (Brazilian)[77] and Alfredo Di Stéfano (Argentine).[78] 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".[79][80]
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.
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.[81] In 1966 both again faced each other in the group stage which ended in a scoreless draw.[82] 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.[83][84] 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.
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.[85][86][87] That was the first time a non-CONMEBOL nation played in a Copa América final, and the first final played between both sides.[88]
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.[89]
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.[90] 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.[91]
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.
Considered by sports media to be two historically great teams,[92] the Argentines and Dutch have developed an intense rivalry. They have met ten times in total, including six times during the World Cup.[93][94][95]
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.[96] 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.[97][98]
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.[99][100][101][102][103][104] 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,[105] 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.
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.[100]
Argentina and Uruguay hold the record for most international matches played between two countries.[3] 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.[note 5]
^Argentina's Olympic Silver has equal value to a World Cup runner-up finish. Only the 1924 and 1928 editions are senior world titles equivalent to a World Cup.[9] After the World Cup was established, football at the Olympics became amateur players only, like it was prior to 1924. Since the 1992 edition, the tournament was restricted to squads with no more than 3 players over the age of 23, and these matches are not regarded as part of the senior national team's record, nor are senior national team caps awarded, it’s part of the Argentina U23.
^There is a precedent of a match played between an Argentine representative against an Uruguayan side, on 16 May 1901, in Paso del Molino. Nevertheless, most historians discard this match as the first, stating that match was not organised by the AUF but by the Albion F.C.. In fact, the initial line-up featured nine players from Albion and two from Nacional.[5][20][4]
^There is a dispute in the official count of matches. Many sources don´t count a few games played between the first team of Argentina against Brazilian State Selection teams, or matches played between the first team of Argentina or Brazil against a "B" team of the rival, so they would not be "International Class A" matches. Many sources say they are tied at 42, many others say Argentina leads by 1 match (40-39) and many others say Brazil leads by 2 matches (43-41). For more information, see the article Argentina-Brazil football rivalry.
^A match against England on 17 May 1953 was abandoned, and the result declared void, hence the number of matches played is greater than the total of wins/draws/losses.
^Although Canada and the United States played two internationals in 1885 and 1886, neither match is considered official; Canada did not play an official international until 1904[citation needed] and the United States did not play one until 1916.[108]
^ abcPelayes, Héctor Darío (24 September 2010). "Argentina-Uruguay Matches 1902–2009". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Archived from the original on 5 January 2019. Retrieved 7 November 2010.
^"USMNT Timeline". United States Soccer Federation. Archived from the original on 21 July 2021. Retrieved 3 February 2022. 1916: The first USFA Men's National Team traveled to Norway and Sweden. The Americans played six matches on this tour, finishing 3-1-2.
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