They are the reigning world champions, having won themost recent FIFA World Cup in 2022, earning their third star shown by the team's crest. Overall, Argentina has appeared in aFIFA World Cup final six times, a record equaled byItaly and surpassed only byBrazil andGermany. Argentina played in theinaugural World Cup final in 1930, which they lost 4–2 to Uruguay. The following final appearance came 48 years later, in1978, when the team captained byDaniel Passarella defeated theNetherlands 3–1 in extra time, becoming world champions for the first time. Captained byDiego Maradona, Argentina won their second World Cup eight years later, in1986, with a 3–2 final victory over West Germany. They reached the final once more under the guidance of Maradona, in1990, but were ultimately beaten 1–0 by West Germany. A few decades later, Argentina, captained byLionel Messi made their fifth final appearance in2014, losing to Germany 1–0 after extra time. In2022, again captained by Messi, they were crowned world champions for the third time, the fourth-most of any country, beatingFrance 4–2 on penalties, following a 3–3 draw after extra time. The team's World Cup–winning managers areCésar Luis Menotti in1978,Carlos Bilardo in1986 andLionel Scaloni in 2022. In addition, Argentina has also been very successful in theCopa América, with a record 16 titles, most recently winning the2024 edition. They are also the only nation to have won the Copa América three consecutive times: they did it in1945,1946 and1947. Furthermore, Argentina won theinaugural FIFA Confederations Cup in 1992 and is the most successful team in theCONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions, having won it twice, in1993 and2022. The national team also won thePanamerican Championship in1960. In total, with 23 official titles won as of 2025, Argentina holds the record in senior official titles won.[12][13][14]
ArgentinesGuillermo Stábile in1930 andMario Kempes in 1978 were the top-scoring players at their respective World Cups. Since theGolden Ball for the tournament's best player was officially awarded byFIFA in 1982, Argentina players have won it three times: Maradona in 1986 and Messi in2014 and 2022. Individually for Argentina, Lionel Messi is the all-time most-capped player with 196 matches and the highest goalscorer with 115 goals. As of November 2025[update], Argentina ranks 2nd in theFIFA Men's World Ranking.[15]
The first ever match Argentina played was againstUruguay on 20 June 1902,[note 2] the first international for both sides, held inMontevideo, with Argentina winning 6–0.[4][7] During the first years of its existence, Argentina only playedfriendly matches against other South American teams. The reasons for this varied, including long travel times between countries and the interruption due toWorld War I.[22]
La Albiceleste has appeared inFIFA World Cup finals six times, including thefirst ever final on 30 July 1930, which they lost 4–2 to Uruguay. Argentina won theirnext final on 25 June1978, beating theNetherlands 3–1. Eight years later, in1986, Argentina led byDiego Maradona won their second title with a 3–2 victory overWest Germany. Four years later, in1990, Maradona led Argentina to the final, but lost 1–0 to West Germany, by a much-disputed penalty. WithLionel Messi as captain, Argentina reached the final in2014, where they were beaten 1–0 byGermany in extra time. Argentina would eventually wintheir third FIFA World Cup in 2022 by defeatingFrance on penalties, after a 3–3 draw after extra time.[23] The team's World Cup–winning managers areCésar Luis Menotti in 1978,Carlos Bilardo in 1986 andLionel Scaloni in 2022.
GEBA Stadium was the first stadium Argentina used for its home matches; that includes theCopa Newton match against Uruguay held on 13 September 1908,[34] 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.[35] GEBA was also used for theCopa Centenario Revolución de Mayo, the first competition held between South American national teams, considered the predecessor ofCopa América, organised by theArgentine Football Association (AFA) in 1910. Most recently, Argentina played at GEBA on 19 October 1919, winning theCopa Premier Honor Argentino after a 6–1 victory over Uruguay.[36]
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 forLa Albiceleste on 2 October 1924, forwardCesáreo Onzari scored directly from acorner kick, the first such incident in football, when Argentina beat Uruguay 2–1; such goals are now often referred asOlympic goals due to the fact that Uruguay had just won the1924 Olympic title.[37][38][39] Sportivo Barracas was later demolished after 1936.[40]
The first kit ever worn by Argentina, in their official debut against Uruguay in 1902, included a light blue shirt.[41][42] 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 ofCampeonato Paulista players atVelódromo Paulistano;[43] 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.[35] The team's away kits have been in dark blue shades, with the colours of shorts and socks varying from time to time.[44]
Argentina has also sported other kits; on 3 June 1919 inRio de Janeiro, playing againstBrazil, 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 againstChile at the1919 South American Championship;[45][46] the match between Argentina and Brazil was organised by theBrazilian Football Confederation for the benefit of Chery's relatives. At the1958 World Cup, Argentina wore the yellow jersey of Swedish clubIFK 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 hisgoal of the century v England in 1986
At the1986 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 againstEngland in three days, but they could not be provided. Then, a member of the coaching staff scoured the shops ofMexico City for 38 plain shirts, which were transformed with an improvised version of the AFA emblem embroidered on the shirts[47] and silveryAmerican football numbers ironed to the backs.[48]
Sporting the makeshift jerseys,Argentina beat England on 22 June, with Diego Maradona scoring his famous "Hand of God goal".[49][50] Afterwards, the shirt became a symbol of the occasion and an important collector's item.[51]
At the2018 World Cup in Russia, Argentina debuted a black away kit;[52] and at the2022 World Cup in Qatar, they wore a purple away kit in a competitive match for the first time.[53][54]
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 the1958 World Cup in Sweden; the logo was added to the team's jackets, but not the shirts.[47] The emblem was not used on jerseys until 16 November 1976, when Argentina played theSoviet Union atEstadio Monumental. At the beginning, the crest used did not include alaurel wreath,[65] which was first added for the1982 World Cup.[47]
As a respected and common practice,[66] two stars were added above the crest in 2004, symbolising Argentina's World Cup titles in 1978 and 1986.[65] In 2022, a third star was added after Argentina were crowned world champions for the third time.[67]
The following players were called up to the squad for thefriendly match againstAngola on November 14.[70] Caps and goals are correct as of 14 November 2025, after the match againstAngola.
Argentina and Brazil have a fierce rivalry which is one of the oldest in South America.[74] Matches between the two teams, even those that are onlyfriendly matches, are often marked by notable and controversial incidents. The rivalry has also been referred to as the "Superclassic of the Americas."FIFA has described it as the "essence of football rivalry".[75]
The rivalry has extended to comparisons betweenPelé andDiego Maradona.[76][77] Some of their countrymen also feature regularly in such debates. The next most notable pair are perhapsGarrincha (Brazil)[78] andAlfredo Di Stéfano (Argentina).[79] The most dominant figures from the two countries in the modern game areNeymar (Brazil) andLionel Messi (Argentina). Both Pelé and Maradona have declared Neymar and Messi their respective "successors".[80][81]
With a rivalry stemming from the1966 World Cup and intensified by theFalklands War of 1982, Argentina andEngland have had numerous confrontations in World Cup tournaments. Among them was thequarter-final match in1986, where Diego Maradona scored two goals against England. The first wasa 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 the1998 World Cup, won by Argentina on penalties, and again at the group stage in2002, with England winning 1–0 through a penalty byDavid Beckham who had been sent off in the tie four years earlier.
The rivalry between Argentina andColombia truly began in the 1990's whenColombia beat Argentina 5-0 at theEstadio Monumental. While the rivalry's roots can be traced back further, this match is considered a key catalyst. Prior to this, Argentina had long been a dominant force in South American football, while Colombia was still establishing itself.
In the1999 Copa América, Colombia would defeat Argentina 3-0 in the group stage. At the2015 Copa América Argentina and Colombia would face each other in the quarter-finals of the with Argentina winning in a penalty shootout. The two teams would face in the group stage of the2019 Copa América with Colombia winning 2-0. Argentina and Colombia would meet again in the semi-finals of2021 Copa América, this time Argentina winning in a penalty shootout. Argentina and Colombia would meet in the2024 Copa América final with Argentina winning 1-0 in extra time.
Argentina has playedGermany in sevenFIFA World Cup matches including three World Cup finals. In1986 Argentina won 3–2, but in1990 and2014 it was the Germans who were the victors by a 1–0 scoreline both times.
In1958 they met for the first time in the group stage, where Argentina suffered a 1–3 loss todefending champions West Germany.[82] In1966 both again faced each other in the group stage which ended in a scoreless draw.[83] In 2006, they met in thequarter-finals; Argentina lost on penalties after a 1–1 draw, which was followed by a brawl on the pitch involving several players.[84][85] They met again at thesame stage in 2010, this time ending with a 4–0 victory for Germany. They played each other for the third consecutive World Cup inBrazil 2014's final, where Argentina was defeatedin extra time by a score of 1–0.
Argentina and Uruguay hold the record for most international matches played between two countries.[4] The two teams have faced each other 197 times since 1902. Thefirst match between Argentina and Uruguay was also the first official international match to be played outside the United Kingdom.[note 5]
Considered by sports media to be two historically great teams,[87] the Argentines and Dutch have developed an intense rivalry. They have met ten times in total, including six times during the World Cup.[88][89][90]
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 the1978 World Cup final which was won by Argentina.[91] One of the most recent and intense meetings happened in the2022 World Cup, a 2–2 draw where Argentina advanced on penalties, in what is known as theBattle of Lusail.[92][93]
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 the1930 World Cup where Argentina beat Mexico 6–3 in thegroup stage, the rivalry emerged during the late twentieth century, especially after the1993 Copa América final, where Argentina beat Mexico 2–1.[94][95][96] That was the first time a non-CONMEBOL nation played in a Copa América final, and the first final played between both sides.[97]
The rivalry has continued in club competitions, where Argentina and Mexico first met in1968 Copa Interamericana. The rivalry between both nations at club level increased during the late 1990s, when Mexican clubs were invited to participate in theCopa Libertadores, where they played memorable matches againstBoca Juniors.[98]
During the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, some Mexican and Argentine fans had a fight inDoha prior to the match between both sides, among great animosity.[99] Both supporters fought again insideLusail Stadium after the match that Argentina won 2–0, giving Argentina a chance to qualify and forcing Mexico to win againstSaudi Arabia to qualify, which ended with Argentina andPoland qualifying and Mexico being eliminated alongside Saudi Arabia.[100]
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.
^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.[10] 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 theArgentina 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 theAlbion F.C.. In fact, the initial line-up featured nine players from Albion and two fromNacional.[6][21][5]
^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 that Argentina leads by 1 match (43-42), many others say that Argentina leads by 2 matches (41-39) and many others say Brazil leads by 1 match (43-42). For more information, see the articleArgentina-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.
^AlthoughCanada and theUnited 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.[86]
^abcPelayes, Héctor Darío (24 September 2010)."Argentina-Uruguay Matches 1902–2009". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation.Archived from the original on 5 January 2019. Retrieved7 November 2010.
^abPalopoli, Eugenio; Ruggiero, Sebastián; Silber, Diego (1 August 2019).Camisetas legendarias del fútbol argentino (in Spanish). Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial Argentina.ISBN978-950-28-1319-6.OCLC1112221401.
^[1] FIFA official's page.Argentina vs. Brasil, por las Eliminatorias sudamericanas: cuándo es, a qué hora y dónde. 18 March 2025 (info prior to the 4-1 game won by Argentina at 25 March 2025).
^"USMNT Timeline". United States Soccer Federation.Archived from the original on 21 July 2021. Retrieved3 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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