Top 10 Greatest Argentine Football (Soccer) Players of All Time

Photo by Alexander Mysyakin from Wikimedia

Top 10 Greatest Argentine Football (Soccer) Players of All Time

 While Europe has been the beautiful game’s tactical hotbed over the past century, South America often manages to steal the show with its eclectic blend of wizardry and charisma.

With two World Cup triumphs and a staggering host of historic and legendary moments, Argentina has managed to create a unique footballing legacy over the years and has produced the greatest players in the history of the game.

The Argentina national team is one of the eight to have won the FIFA World Cup. It is one of the teams participating in the 2022 FIFA world cup and one of the favorites to win.

Let’s look at the Top 10 Greatest Argentine Football Players of All Time.

1. Lionel Messi

Photo by Kirill Venediktov from Wikimedia

Arguably the best player in the history of football, Lionel Messi has claimed the Ballon d’Or as the world’s best soccer player for a record seven times. He has made 856 club appearances and has scored 701 career goals.

Messi joined Barcelona in 2003 and made his senior debut in 2005, where he stayed for a record 17 years until 2021 when he moved to Paris Saint Germain. He appeared 778 times for the team and scored 672 goals, becoming Barcelona’s best scorer of all time.

At the international level, Messi holds the national record for appearances and is also the country’s all-time leading goalscorer. He has been with the national side since 2004 and has earned 187 caps and scored 107 goals.

In the upcoming FIFA  world cup  2022, Messi is expected to lead his national team in the hunt for their 3rd world cup title which they last won in 1986.

2. Diego Maradona

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When it comes to debates on the greatest football players of all time, Diego Maradona’s name features are among the top.

He is Widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of the sport, he was one of the two joint winners of the FIFA Player of the 20th Century award.

A stocky and tenacious midfielder, Maradona became a hero after he led Napoli to victories in the 1980s. He made over 400 official club appearances and scored over 250 goals.

In his international career, Maradona earned 91 caps and scored 34 goals. He played in four FIFA World Cups, including the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, where he captained Argentina and led them to a world cup title.

3. Sergio Aguero

Also known as Kun Agüero, Sergio Aguero is considered one of the best strikers of his generation and one of the greatest players in the history of the Premier League. His passing ability, link-up play, tactical intelligence, and vision, also made him one of the best ever assist-man in the history of the game.

Agüero began his career at the Argentine club Independiente, and he became the youngest player to play in the Argentine Primera División at 15 years. He then moved to La Liga club Atlético Madrid where he established himself as one of the most prolific players, winning the World Soccer Young Player of the Year.

Sergio signed for Premier League club Manchester City in 2011, where he stayed for 10 years and won five league titles. At the international level, he is Argentina’s third-highest all-time top goalscorer and has earned over 100 caps, representing the senior team at three FIFA World Cups.

4. Carlos Tevez

Known as a quick, tenacious, powerful, hard-working, dynamic, and versatile forward, Carlos Tevez has made 748 appearances and scored 308 goals in his professional football career.

Tevez began his career with Boca Juniors, before moving to the English clubs West Ham United in 2006 and Manchester United in 2007. He then joined Manchester City in 2009 where he won the 2011–12 season premier league title before joining Juventus, where he won two Scudetti among other trophies.

Carlos Tevez made his international debut for Argentina in 2004, earning 76 caps and scoring 13 times for the side. A gold medal and Summer Olympics Golden Boot winner at the 2004 Olympics, he also played at two FIFA World Cups.

5. Angel Di Maria 

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Generally considered one of the best wingers in the world, Angel Di María is a  highly technical player who possesses excellent dribbling skills. He currently plays for Juventus and is expected to be one of the star players in the FIFA world cup 2022.

Di María began his career with Rosario Central, before joining Benfica where he helped the club to win the Primeira Liga. He then moved to Spanish club Real Madrid where he won a La Liga title and the UEFA Champions League.

Angel Di Maria has also played for Manchester United and Paris Saint Germaine where he won five league titles, five Coupe de France, and four Coupe de la Ligue.

At the international level, Di María made his senior international debut for Argentina in 2008 and has since earned over 120 caps, including appearances in the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

6. Claudio Caniggia

Known in particular for his significant speed as a player, Claudio Caniggia formed a lethal partnership with Diego Maradona, and the image of his long golden hair is inscribed in the folklore of the world’s leading event.

At the club level, Caniggia played for River Plate, Hellas Verona, Atalanta, Roma S.L. Benfica, Boca Juniors, Dundee, and Rangers. He has become a club legend and cult hero at many of the clubs he has played at.

Despite not having played for big European clubs, Claudio is a national idol, renowned for excelling in the national tea. He was capped 50 times, scoring 16 goals. He played at the 1990 and 1994 World Cups, scoring four goals in eight matches.

7. Paulo Dybala

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Known for his powerful and accurate shots from outside the box and dribbling skills, Paulo Dybala is one of the current Argentine star strikers. He is among the 23- man squad expected to represent Argentina in the FIFA world cup 2022.

He began his senior club career in 2011 playing for Instituto de Córdoba, before signing for Palermo in 2012, at age 18, where he won a Serie B title. In 2015, Dybala signed for Juventus and won five league titles and four Coppas Italia.

Dybala made his senior international debut for Argentina in 2015 at age of 21 and has since earned over 30 caps, including appearing at the 2018 FIFA World Cup and the 2019 Copa América.

8. Gabriel Batistuta

Regarded as one of the greatest strikers of all time, Gabriel Batistuta is the only player in football history to score two hat-tricks in different World Cups. He was also named by Pelé in the FIFA 100 list of the world’s greatest living players in 2004.

Batistuta began his career in Argentina in 1988 with Newell’s Old Boys, followed by River Plate and Boca Juniors. He then joined  Serie A club Fiorentina in Italy; where he remains their all-time top scorer in Serie A with 151 goals.

At the international level, Batistuta earned 77 caps and scored 54 goals for his national team. He also participated in three FIFA World Cups, scoring 10 goals, making him Argentina’s all-time top scorer in the competition.

9. Javier Mascherano

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Known in particular for his leadership skills, and passing accuracy, Javier Mascherano is Argentina’s second most-capped player in history.  He Made 147 appearances during the 15 years he played for the national team. 

Mascherano began his career at River Plate and corinthians, before moving to Europe where he appeared for West Ham, Liverpool, and Barcelona. He then moved to china where he played for Hebei China Fortune, before returning to Argentina’s Primera division in 2021.

Javier Mascherano was included in the Argentina senior squad for the 2004 Copa América and went on to play every minute of every match for Argentina In the 2006 World Cup.

He captained the team in the 2010 world cup and also played in the 2014 and 2018 world cups after which he announced his retirement from international football.

10. Javier Zanetti

Known for his versatility as well as his adeptness on both the left and right-wing, Javier Zanetti is regarded as one of the best players of his generation. He was well-respected by both fans and the opposition for his leadership, calm demeanor, and conduct on and off the pitch.

Mascherano started his career at Banfield, before joining Inter Milan where he stayed for 19 seasons and made 858 appearances across all competitions. He is currently the team’s longest-tenured player.

At the international level, Zanetti debuted for Argentina in 1994, and he represented his country at the 1998 and 2002 FIFA World Cups. He retired from international football in 2011 after playing for his national team for  17 years and earning 145 caps.