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99
Diego Maradona 91 caps · 34 goals · FC Barcelona, SSC Napoli · FIFA Player of the Century 2000At the Azteca on 22 June 1986 he collected the ball in his own half, beat five England players over sixty yards in about eleven seconds, and rolled it past Peter Shilton. He won the 1986 World Cup and its Golden Ball, took Napoli to their first two Serie A titles in 1987 and 1990, added the 1989 UEFA Cup, and reached the 1990 World Cup final.
CAM1986–90
99
Lionel Messi 207 caps · 125 goals · Newell's Old Boys, FC Barcelona · 2× Ballon d'Or (2009–2010)Lusail, 18 December 2022: he scored twice in a final that ended 3-3, then buried the first penalty of a shootout Argentina won 4-2. The trophy cabinet runs from the 2022 World Cup and a second Golden Ball through the Copa América of 2021 and 2024 to eight Ballon d'Or awards, four Champions Leagues, ten La Liga titles and 672 goals for Barcelona.
RM2021–24
96
Alfredo Di Stéfano 6 caps · 6 goals · Millonarios, Real Madrid Club de Fútbol · 2× Ballon d'Or (1957–1959)At Hampden Park on 18 May 1960, in front of more than 127,000 spectators, the Blond Arrow scored three of Real Madrid's goals in the 7-3 defeat of Eintracht Frankfurt. He scored in each of Real Madrid's first five European Cup finals, all of them won between 1956 and 1960, and took the Ballon d'Or in 1957 and 1959, eight Spanish league titles and the 1947 South American Championship with Argentina.
SS1945–66
93
Daniel Passarella 70 caps · Club Atlético River Plate, ACF FiorentinaWhen Argentina beat the Netherlands at the Monumental on 25 June 1978, the trophy went into his hands before anyone else's, and he finished a centre-back career with 134 goals in 451 matches. World champion as captain in 1978 and part of the winning squad in 1986, he took seven league titles with River Plate and scored freely from set pieces in Serie A for Fiorentina and Inter.
CB1978–86
92
José Manuel Moreno 34 caps · 19 goals · Club Atlético River Plate, Real Club EspañaHe insisted the tango was the best training available to him, and River Plate lived with the missed sessions because the inside forward of La Máquina returned 156 goals in 256 games. League titles followed in Argentina, Mexico, Chile and Colombia, a first for any footballer, alongside three South American Championships with Argentina and the best player award at the 1947 tournament.
CM1936–50
92
Omar Sívori 19 caps · 9 goals · Club Atlético River Plate, Juventus · Ballon d'Or 1961Argentina's 1957 South American Championship was won by a forward line the press called the carasucias, and he was the one playing with his socks rolled down to his ankles, treating the nutmeg as a signature. Juventus paid a world-record fee of 10 million pesos for him that year, and he returned the 1961 Ballon d'Or, three Serie A titles and two Coppa Italia, on top of the three Argentine championships he had already won with River Plate.
SS1956–62
91
Javier Zanetti 145 caps · Club Atlético Talleres de Remedios de Escalada, Club Atlético BanfieldInter gave him the armband in 2001 and he kept it until he retired at forty, by then on 858 appearances for the club and two red cards in a twenty-two-year career. He captained the Inter side that won the Champions League, Serie A and Coppa Italia in 2010, and finished with five Serie A titles, the 1998 UEFA Cup and 145 caps for Argentina.
RB1994–2011
90
Ángel Di María 145 caps · 31 goals · S.L. Benfica, Real Madrid Club de FútbolThe 2021 Copa América final turned on a long ball he ran onto at the Maracanã, chipping Ederson to beat Brazil and end a twenty-eight-year wait for Argentina. He scored in the 2022 World Cup final as well, and in the 2008 Olympic final and the Finalissima, then took the 2014 Champions League with Real Madrid and five Ligue 1 titles at Paris Saint-Germain.
LM2008–24
90
Juan Román Riquelme 51 caps · 17 goals · FC Barcelona, Villarreal CF · South American Footballer of the Year 2001Six minutes into the 2000 Intercontinental final he floated a 40-yard pass over Geremi for Palermo to finish, and late in the same win over Real Madrid he held the ball in the corner past Helguera, Geremi and McManaman. Boca took the Libertadores in 2000, 2001 and 2007, the last with Riquelme as top scorer and player of the tournament, and he captained Argentina to Olympic gold in Beijing.
CAM1997–2008
90
Mario Kempes 43 caps · 20 goals · Club Atlético Rosario Central, Valencia CFArgentina were still goalless in the 1978 final when Kempes slotted under Jongbloed from twelve yards in the 38th minute, and in extra time he ran through two sliding tackles and forced the loose ball in for 2-1. Six goals took him the Golden Boot and the Golden Ball of a World Cup won at home, and at Valencia he added the 1980 Cup Winners' Cup and two Pichichi trophies.
ST1978–80
89
Carlos Tevez 76 caps · 13 goals · Manchester United, Manchester City · South American Footballer of the Year 2003At Old Trafford on the final day of 2006/07 he took Bobby Zamora's pass and drove it under Edwin van der Sar, and West Ham stayed up while Sheffield United went down. Boca won the 2003 Libertadores with him scoring in the final and beat Milan on penalties for the Intercontinental Cup that December, and he later took Olympic gold in 2004, the 2008 Champions League, four English titles and two Scudetti at Juventus.
SS2004–15
89
Emiliano Martínez 65 caps · Arsenal, ReadingArgentina were seconds from losing the 2022 final when Kolo Muani broke clear in the 123rd minute, and Dibu spread himself wide to block the shot with his outstretched left leg. That shootout delivered the World Cup, and his cabinet also holds Copa América titles from 2021 and 2024, the Finalissima at Wembley, the Golden Glove in Qatar, and back to back Yashin Trophies in 2023 and 2024.
GK2011–26
89
Javier Mascherano 147 caps · Liverpool, FC BarcelonaRobben was through inside the six-yard box in the last minute of the 2014 semi-final when he slid across and took the ball, a block he said afterwards had torn him open. Two Champions League titles and five La Liga titles at Barcelona, Olympic gold in 2004 and 2008, and 147 caps for Argentina that brought five lost finals, the 2014 World Cup among them.
CDM2003–18
89
Lautaro Martínez 84 caps · 40 goals · Racing Club, Inter MilanIn the 112th minute of the 2024 Copa América final in Miami, Lo Celso slipped him through and El Toro finished on the half-turn to sink Colombia, his fifth goal of a tournament he ended as top scorer. Argentina's 2022 World Cup and the Copa América titles of 2021 and 2024 sit on his record, alongside three Serie A championships as Inter captain.
ST2015–26
89
Luis Monti 16 caps · 5 goals · Club Atlético Huracán, San Lorenzo de AlmagroThey called him doble ancho in Buenos Aires, double wide for the ground he ate in front of the defence, and on 30 July 1930 he lost the first World Cup final at the Centenario to Uruguay. Four years later he won that trophy back in Italy's blue, the only man to play World Cup finals for two nations, and he added the 1927 Copa América, Olympic silver in 1928 and four consecutive Serie A titles with Juventus.
CM1927–30
89
Nicolás Otamendi 139 caps · FC Porto, Manchester CityThey call him El General in Argentina, and he defended like one in Qatar, starting all seven matches and standing through the full 120 minutes of the 2022 final against France. That run delivered the World Cup, and he added the Copa América in 2021 and 2024, the 2022 Finalissima at Wembley, and two Premier League titles with Manchester City.
CB2007–26
89
Oscar Ruggeri 97 caps · Club Atlético River Plate, Club Atlético Vélez SarsfieldEighteen minutes into Argentina's 1986 World Cup opener against South Korea, on 2 June in Mexico City, he headed in a Maradona free kick, El Cabezón scoring the way the nickname promised. He finished that tournament a world champion, reached the 1990 final, won the Copa América in 1991 and 1993, the 1986 Copa Libertadores and Intercontinental Cup with River Plate, La Liga with Real Madrid in 1990, and league titles at Boca, River and San Lorenzo.
CB1986–93
89
Ricardo Bochini 28 caps · 0 goals · Club Atlético IndependienteHe waited until 32 for his World Cup, and when Bilardo finally sent him on against Belgium in 1986 with the tie already won, Maradona ran over with a line Argentina still quotes: come in, Maestro, we have been waiting for you. A World Cup medal came out of those minutes, and before it four Copa Libertadores with Independiente, two Intercontinental Cups including the 1973 final he decided himself against Juventus in Rome, and four Argentine championships.
CAM1973–86
89
Ubaldo Fillol 58 caps · Quilmes Atlético Club, Racing ClubEl Pato saved Kazimierz Deyna's penalty in Rosario on 14 June 1978, the first of three straight clean sheets that carried Argentina through the second group stage. He was voted the best goalkeeper of the World Cup Argentina won at home, took seven Argentine league titles with River Plate between 1975 and 1981, and in 1977 became the first goalkeeper named Argentine Footballer of the Year.
GK1975–81
88
Diego Simeone 106 caps · Club Atlético Vélez Sarsfield, Atlético MadridSaint-Étienne, 30 June 1998: he clipped David Beckham, ruffled his hair going past, and went down under the flick that came back, later admitting the referee had fallen into the trap. He took 106 caps for Argentina, won the Copa América in 1991 and 1993, the 1992 King Fahd Cup, Olympic silver in 1996, the UEFA Cup with Inter in 1998, Serie A with Lazio in 2000 and the league and cup double with Atlético Madrid in 1996.
CDM1988–2002
88
Hernán Crespo 64 caps · 35 goals · Club Atlético River Plate, Parma Calcio 1913Istanbul, 2005: he scored twice before half time, the second a dink over Jerzy Dudek from Kaká's pass that put Milan 3-0 up, and he finished the night with a runners-up medal. Copa Libertadores with River Plate in 1996, the Premier League with Chelsea in 2006, three Serie A titles with Inter, the UEFA Cup with Parma in 1999, Serie A's top scorer with 26 goals in 2001, and 35 goals in 64 games for Argentina.
ST1995–2007
88
Juan Sebastián Verón His father had been La Bruja at Estudiantes, so the son answered to La Brujita, and on 15 July 2009 he was man of the match in the Mineirão as Cruzeiro lost the Copa Libertadores final. The club's fourth Libertadores and first in 39 years came with his tournament MVP award and back-to-back South American Footballer of the Year honours, after Serie A at Lazio in 2000, the UEFA Cup at Parma and the 2003 Premier League.
CM1996–2010
88
Oreste Corbatta 43 caps · 18 goals · Racing Club, Deportivo Independiente MedellínHe took 68 penalties as a professional and missed four, and on the right he hugged the chalk so tightly that Argentina called him el dueño de la raya. He won the South American Championship in 1957 as the right winger of the Carasucias attack alongside Maschio, Angelillo and Sívori, took a second in 1959, scored three times at the 1958 World Cup and won league titles with Racing in 1958 and 1961 and Boca in 1964 and 1965.
RM1956–62
88
Osvaldo Ardiles 52 caps · 8 goals · Club Atlético Belgrano, Club Atlético Huracán · Hall of FameWeeks after winning the World Cup in 1978 he moved to Tottenham, and by April 1981 the club's cup final record was built around his name: Ossie's going to Wembley, his knees have gone all trembly, a number five hit. The 1978 World Cup first, then FA Cups in 1981 and 1982 and the 1984 UEFA Cup, won off the bench in the second leg after the Falklands War had pushed him out on loan to Paris.
CM1978–84
88
Roberto Perfumo 37 caps · Racing Club, Cruzeiro E.C.In the Montevideo play-off of 4 November 1967, with six men sent off, he anchored the Racing back line while Juan Carlos Cárdenas's 55th-minute goal beat Celtic and made them champions of the world. El Mariscal won the 1967 Copa Libertadores and Intercontinental Cup with Racing and the 1966 Argentine title, three Mineiro championships at Cruzeiro, three more league titles back at River Plate in 1975 and 1977, and played at the World Cups of 1966 and 1974.
CB1964–74
88
Silvio Marzolini 28 caps · Ferro Carril OesteBobby Charlton said of him that pace was beside the point because the positioning was already right, and FIFA named him left back of the 1966 World Cup even though Argentina were sent home at Wembley in the quarter-final. Five Argentine championships with Boca Juniors between 1962 and 1970, 387 league games there, the 1969 Copa Argentina, two World Cups, and a place in the IFFHS all-time Argentina XI in 2021.
LB1960–69
Amadeo Carrizo 20 caps · Club Atlético River Plate, MillonariosHe was 42 on 14 July 1968 when he stretched his run without conceding to 769 minutes, past Antonio Roma's national record, and Carlos Bianchi ended it in that same match. He made 521 appearances for River Plate between 1945 and 1968, won seven Argentine titles between 1945 and 1957, took 20 caps, and was the first Argentine keeper to wear gloves and to leave his area by design; the IFFHS named him South America's goalkeeper of the century.
GK1945–68
Diego Maradona tops Argentina's all-time pool, ahead of Lionel Messi and Alfredo Di Stéfano. The 33 covers 3 goalkeepers, 9 defenders, 13 midfielders and 8 forwards. 3 players reach the Immortal tier or higher. Pick a formation, drag your eleven onto the pitch, then settle the duels below. Your votes reorder the people's ranking of these 33 in real time.
A 33 is a set of decisions, and these are the players who lost their place in the last revision of Argentina's list. Every one of them has a case.
Disagree? That is the point. Settle it in the duels above.