Argentina National Football Team

Every four years, the Argentina National Football Team is one of the World Cup favorites, as they are consistently one of the top national teams in the world. Several soccer legends have put on the blue and white kits, and they have won several major championships throughout their storied history. Read on to learn more about the Argentina National Football Team!

Argentina National Football Team

Argentina is one of the many mainstays of soccer dominance on the international stage, and their history at international tournaments is one of great success. In their time as a national club, they have won two World Cups, and 15 Copa América titles. With such success behind them, it is no surprise that they would be considered favorites at the upcoming 2022 World Cup. With this brief introduction in mind, let’s dive more deeply into the history, roster, rivalries, and much more from the storied La Albiceleste team!

Basic Info:

• Nickname: La Albiceleste
• Association: Argentine Football Association (AFA)
• Confederation: South American Football Federation (CONMEBOL)
• Head coach: Lionel Scaloni
• Home Stadium: Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti
• FIFA code: ARG
• World Cup Appearances: 18 (first in 1930)
• Best World Cup Result: Champions (1978, 1986)

Social Media:

• Twitter
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Business Website

2022 World Cup Roster

History

As one of the oldest national soccer teams, Argentina has a long and rich history over a century old. In 1916, they hosted the first ever Campeonato Sudamericano, the tournament that would eventually evolve into Copa América. Five years later, they even won their first title there, despite an avid rivalry with the national team of Uruguay. The competition between these two teams flourished for decades, with Argentina losing to Uruguay in the semifinals of the first World Cup as well as several times at the Olympic level.

For most of the 1930s, 40s, and 50s, the Argentinian national team withdrew from all World Cup tournaments as the country faced political turmoil and disagreed with host nation choices. In fact, the team did not see much success at that level again until the 1970s. Thanks to a new coach in Luis Menotti and a young new forward, Mario Kempes, the team began a new era of international success. In 1978, they even won their first World Cup title against the Netherlands. Kempes scored the winning goal to break a tie in extra time.

In the 1980s, Argentina again had a rich period of success with their new powerhouse Diego “El Matador” Maradona, one of the greatest soccer players of all time. During the 1986 FIFA World Cup, the Maradona-led team won a second title against West Germany in a tense 3-2 final match. Though the Argentinian national team never won another World Cup, they have gotten close several times and appeared in the tournament a remarkable 17 of the 21 times it has occurred.

In the early 2000s, Argentina began a third era of success thanks to the great Lionel Messi, the greatest scorer in the team’s long history (70 goals to date). Many international tournaments, especially the 2014 and 2018 World Cups, have been popularly described as Messi’s to lose. It remains to be seen whether Messi can finally lead Argentina to a third World Cup win in Qatar’s 2022 edition.

Rivalries

The Argentinian national football team has three main rivals: Brazil, England, and Uruguay. The rivalry with the Brazilians, known in Spanish as Superclásico de las Américas, is one of the strongest rivalries in international soccer. Both teams have produced superstar players, and meetings between players and fans are always heated and passionate. The rivalry with England is a rare intercontinental one, and it was fueled by the 1982 Falklands War and memorable meetings between the teams in the 1966 and 1986 World Cups. The rivalry with Uruguay exists because the derby between the teams, called the Clásico del Río de la Plata in Spanish, is the most played in soccer history. The teams have met nearly 200 times!

Kits

Argentina’s current home kit consists of a shirt with light blue vertical stripes on a white jersey, representing the Argentinian flag. This is paired with black shorts and white socks with blue stripes. Argentina’s away kit for the 2022 World Cup consists of a purple shirt with a light purple flame design and light purple stripes on the shoulders, paired with purple shorts and socks, both with light purple highlights. Other colors worn as part of Argentina’s kits in past years have included light blue, dark blue, yellow, white, and black. Since 2001, Adidas has been the primary supplier of Argentina's kits.

Argentina National Soccer Team Highlights

• 18 World Cup appearances, with two wins and three second-place finishes.
• 43 Copa América appearances and 15 wins.
• Placed in the top four of the Copa America 36 times.
• Two CONMEBOL-UEFA Cup of Champions wins in two appearances.
• The Argentina National Soccer Team is a member of the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL).
• Argentina plays against other CONMEBOL teams in continental tournaments.

Notable Argentina Players

• Alfredo di Stefano
• Diego Maradona
• Gabriel Batistuta
• Javier Maschelano
• Lionel Messi
• Mario Kempes
• Omar Sivori
• Sergio Aguero

FAQ