Argentina at the FIFA World Cup

Argentina celebrating their victory in the 1986 FIFA World Cup final in Mexico

This is a record of Argentina's results at the FIFA World Cup. Argentina is one of the most successful teams in the tournament's history, having won three World Cups: in 1978, 1986, and 2022. Argentina has also been runner-up three times: in 1930, 1990 and 2014. In 18 World Cup tournaments, Argentina has 47 victories in 88 matches. The team was present in all but four of the World Cups, being behind only Brazil and Germany in number of appearances.

World Cup record

[edit]
FIFA World Cup finals record Qualification record
Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA Pld W D* L GF GA
Uruguay 1930 Runners-up 2nd 5 4 0 1 18 9 Invited
Italy 1934 Round of 16 9th 1 0 0 1 2 3 Qualified by opponent's withdrawal[1]
France 1938 Withdrew Withdrew due to hosting disagreement[2]
Brazil 1950
Switzerland 1954 Withdrew due to political decision[2]
Sweden 1958 Group stage 13th 3 1 0 2 5 10 4 3 0 1 10 2
Chile 1962 10th 3 1 1 1 2 3 2 2 0 0 11 3
England 1966 Quarter-finals 5th 4 2 1 1 4 2 4 3 1 0 9 2
Mexico 1970 did not qualify 4 1 1 2 4 6
West Germany 1974 Second group stage 8th 6 1 2 3 9 12 4 3 1 0 9 2
Argentina 1978 Champions 1st 7 5 1 1 15 4 Qualified as hosts
Spain 1982 Second group stage 11th 5 2 0 3 8 7 Qualified as defending champions
Mexico 1986 Champions 1st 7 6 1 0 14 5 6 4 1 1 12 6
Italy 1990 Runners-up 2nd 7 2 3 2 5 4 Qualified as defending champions
United States 1994 Round of 16 10th 4 2 0 2 8 6 8 4 2 2 9 10
France 1998 Quarter-finals 6th 5 3 1 1 10 4 16 8 6 2 23 13
South KoreaJapan 2002 Group stage 18th 3 1 1 1 2 2 18 13 4 1 42 15
Germany 2006 Quarter-finals 6th 5 3 2 0 11 3 18 10 4 4 29 17
South Africa 2010 5th 5 4 0 1 10 6 18 8 4 6 23 20
Brazil 2014 Runners-up 2nd 7 5 1 1 8 4 16 9 5 2 35 15
Russia 2018 Round of 16 16th 4 1 1 2 6 9 18 7 7 4 19 16
Qatar 2022 Champions 1st 7 4 2 1 15 8 17 11 6 0 27 8
Canada Mexico United States 2026 To be determined To be determined
Morocco Portugal Spain 2030 Qualified as centenary co-hosts Qualified as centenary co-hosts
Saudi Arabia 2034 To be determined To be determined
Total 3 titles 18/22 88 47 17 24 152 101 153 86 42 25 262 135
**Gold background color indicates that the tournament was won. Red border color indicates tournament was held on home soil.

World Cup Finals

[edit]
Year Manager(s) Captain Goal Scorer(s)
1930 Francisco Olazar / Juan José Tramutola Manuel Ferreira Carlos Peucelle, Guillermo Stábile
1978 César Luis Menotti Daniel Passarella Mario Kempes (2), Daniel Bertoni
1986 Carlos Bilardo Diego Maradona José Luis Brown, Jorge Valdano, Jorge Burruchaga
1990 Carlos Bilardo Diego Maradona
2014 Alejandro Sabella Lionel Messi
2022 Lionel Scaloni Lionel Messi Lionel Messi (2), Ángel Di María

All matches

[edit]
World Cup Round Opponent Score Venue Argentina scorers
1930 Group 1  France 1–0 Parque Central, Montevideo Monti
 Mexico 6–3 Centenario, Montevideo Stábile (3), Zumelzú (2), Varallo
 Chile 3–1 Centenario, Montevideo Stábile (2), Evaristo
Semi-finals  United States 6–1 Centenario, Montevideo Monti, Scopelli, Stábile (2), Peucelle (2)
Final  Uruguay 2–4 Centenario, Montevideo Peucelle, Stábile
1934 Round of 16  Sweden 2–3 Stadio Littoriale, Bologna Belis, Galateo
1958 Group A  West Germany 1–3 Malmö Stadion, Malmö Corbatta
 Northern Ireland 3–1 Örjans Vall, Halmstad Corbatta, Menéndez, Avio
 Czechoslovakia 1–6 Olympiastadion, Helsingborg Corbatta
1962 Group D  Bulgaria 1–0 El Teniente, Rancagua Facundo
 England 1–3 El Teniente, Rancagua Sanfilippo
 Hungary 0–0 El Teniente, Rancagua
1966 Group B  Spain 2–1 Villa Park, Birmingham Artime (2)
 West Germany 0–0 Villa Park, Birmingham
  Switzerland 2–0 Hillsborough, Sheffield Artime, Onega
Quarter-finals  England 0–1 Wembley, London
1974 Group 4  Poland 2–3 Neckarstadion, Stuttgart Heredia, Babington
 Italy 1–1 Neckarstadion, Stuttgart Houseman
 Haiti 4–1 Olympiastadion, Munich Yazalde (2), Houseman, Ayala
Group A  Netherlands 0–4 Parkstadion, Gelsenkirchen
 Brazil 1–2 Niedersachsenstadion, Hanover Brindisi
 East Germany 1–1 Parkstadion, Gelsenkirchen Houseman
1978 Group 1  Hungary 2–1 Monumental, Buenos Aires Luque, Bertoni
 France 2–1 Monumental, Buenos Aires Passarella, Luque
 Italy 0–1 Monumental, Buenos Aires
Group A  Poland 2–0 Gigante de Arroyito, Rosario Kempes (2)
 Brazil 0–0 Gigante de Arroyito, Rosario
 Peru 6–0 Gigante de Arroyito, Rosario Kempes (2), Tarantini, Luque (2), Houseman
Final  Netherlands 3–1 (a.e.t.) Monumental, Buenos Aires Kempes (2), Bertoni
1982 Group 3  Belgium 0–1 Camp Nou, Barcelona
 Hungary 4–1 José Rico Pérez, Alicante Bertoni, Maradona (2), Ardiles
 El Salvador 2–0 José Rico Pérez, Alicante Passarella, Bertoni
Group C  Italy 1–2 Sarrià, Barcelona Passarella
 Brazil 1–3 Sarrià, Barcelona Díaz
1986 Group A  South Korea 3–1 Estadio Olímpico Universitario, Mexico City Valdano (2), Ruggeri
 Italy 1–1 Cuauhtémoc, Puebla Maradona
 Bulgaria 2–0 Estadio Olímpico Universitario, Mexico City Valdano, Burruchaga
Round of 16  Uruguay 1–0 Cuauhtémoc, Puebla Pasculli
Quarter-finals  England 2–1 Estadio Azteca, Mexico City Maradona (2)
Semi-finals  Belgium 2–0 Estadio Azteca, Mexico City Maradona (2)
Final  West Germany 3–2 Estadio Azteca, Mexico City Brown, Valdano, Burruchaga
1990 Group B  Cameroon 0–1 San Siro, Milan
 Soviet Union 2–0 San Paolo, Naples Troglio, Burruchaga
 Romania 1–1 San Paolo, Naples Monzón
Round of 16  Brazil 1–0 Stadio Delle Alpi, Turin Caniggia
Quarter-finals  Yugoslavia 0–0 (a.e.t.)
(3–2 p)
Artemio Franchi, Florence
Semi-finals  Italy 1–1 (a.e.t.)
(4–3 p)
San Paolo, Naples Caniggia
Final  West Germany 0–1 Olimpico, Rome
1994 Group D  Greece 4–0 Foxboro Stadium, Foxborough Batistuta (3), Maradona
 Nigeria 2–1 Foxboro Stadium, Foxborough Caniggia (2)
 Bulgaria 0–2 Cotton Bowl, Dallas
Round of 16  Romania 2–3 Rose Bowl, Pasadena Batistuta, Balbo
1998 Group H  Japan 1–0 Stadium Municipal, Toulouse Batistuta
 Jamaica 5–0 Parc des Princes, Paris Ortega (2), Batistuta (3)
 Croatia 1–0 Parc Lescure, Bordeaux Pineda
Round of 16  England 2–2 (a.e.t.)
(4–3 p)
Geoffroy-Guichard, Saint-Étienne Batistuta, Zanetti
Quarter-finals  Netherlands 1–2 Vélodrome, Marseille López[note 1]
2002 Group F  Nigeria 1–0 Kashima, Ibaraki prefecture Batistuta
 England 0–1 Sapporo Dome, Sapporo
 Sweden 1–1 Miyagi, Rifu Crespo
2006 Group C  Ivory Coast 2–1 Volksparkstadion, Hamburg Crespo, Saviola
 Serbia and Montenegro 6–0 Arena AufSchalke, Gelsenkirchen Rodríguez (2), Cambiasso, Crespo, Tevez, Messi
 Netherlands 0–0 Waldstadion, Frankfurt
Round of 16  Mexico 2–1 (a.e.t.) Zentralstadion, Leipzig Crespo, Rodríguez
Quarter-finals  Germany 1–1 (a.e.t.)
(2–4 p)
Olympiastadion, Berlin Ayala
2010 Group B  Nigeria 1–0 Ellis Park, Johannesburg Heinze
 South Korea 4–1 Soccer City, Johannesburg Park (o.g.), Higuaín (3)
 Greece 2–0 Peter Mokaba, Polokwane Demichelis, Palermo
Round of 16  Mexico 3–1 Soccer City, Johannesburg Tevez (2), Higuaín
Quarter-finals  Germany 0–4 Green Point, Cape Town
2014 Group F  Bosnia and Herzegovina 2–1 Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro Kolašinac (o.g.), Messi
 Iran 1–0 Mineirão, Belo Horizonte Messi
 Nigeria 3–2 Beira-Rio, Porto Alegre Messi (2), Rojo
Round of 16   Switzerland 1–0 (a.e.t.) Arena Corinthians, São Paulo Di María
Quarter-finals  Belgium 1–0 Estádio Nacional, Brasilia Higuaín
Semi-finals  Netherlands 0–0 (a.e.t.)
(4–2 p)
Arena Corinthians, São Paulo
Final  Germany 0–1 (a.e.t.) Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro
2018 Group D  Iceland 1–1 Spartak Stadium, Moscow Agüero
 Croatia 0–3 Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, Nizhny Novgorod
 Nigeria 2–1 Zenit Arena, Saint Petersburg Messi, Rojo
Round of 16  France 3–4 Kazan Arena, Kazan Di María, Mercado, Agüero
2022 Group C  Saudi Arabia 1–2 Lusail Stadium, Lusail Messi
 Mexico 2–0 Lusail Stadium, Lusail Messi, Fernández
 Poland 2–0 Stadium 974, Doha Mac Allister, Álvarez
Round of 16  Australia 2–1 Ahmad bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan Messi, Álvarez
Quarter-finals  Netherlands 2–2 (a.e.t.)
(4–3 p)
Lusail Stadium, Lusail Molina, Messi
Semi-finals  Croatia 3–0 Lusail Stadium, Lusail Messi, Álvarez (2)
Final  France 3–3 (a.e.t.)
(4–2 p)
Lusail Stadium, Lusail Messi (2), Di María

World Cup Finals

[edit]

The inaugural FIFA World Cup tournament culminated with Argentina facing hosts and current Olympic champions Uruguay. The match was turned twice: Argentina went into half-time with a 2–1 lead in spite of an early goal for Uruguay, but the hosts ultimately won 4–2. Guillermo Stábile, one of Argentina's scorers, became the tournament's top striker with 8 goals total.

Uruguay 4–2 Argentina
Dorado 12'
Cea 57'[3]
Iriarte 68'
Castro 89'
Report Peucelle 20'
Stábile 37'[3]
Attendance: 68,346
Uruguay
Argentina
GK Enrique Ballestrero
RB José Nasazzi (c)
LB Ernesto Mascheroni
RH José Andrade
CH Lorenzo Fernández
LH Álvaro Gestido
OR Pablo Dorado
IR Héctor Scarone
CF Héctor Castro
IL Pedro Cea
OL Santos Iriarte
Manager:
Alberto Suppici
GK Juan Botasso
RB José Della Torre
LB Fernando Paternoster
RH Juan Evaristo
CH Luis Monti
LH Pedro Suárez
OR Carlos Peucelle
IR Francisco Varallo
CF Guillermo Stábile
IL Manuel Ferreira (c)
OL Mario Evaristo
Managers:
Francisco Olazar
Juan José Tramutola

Argentina hosted the 1978 edition of the World Cup and reached the final. The Netherlands had already played the previous final in West Germany 1974 - and also lost to the hosts.

Diego Maradona was 17 years old at this point and already a star in his home country, but did not make the squad as coach César Luis Menotti felt he was too inexperienced to handle the pressure of this major tournament. The playmaker position was instead filled by Mario Kempes, who ended up becoming the first Argentinian to win the Golden Ball in addition to being the tournament's top scorer with 6 goals.

The Dutch side was missing a superstar of their own: Johan Cruyff did not join the 1978 World Cup squads due to the aftermath of a kidnapping attempt which occurred in 1977. He only disclosed this information 30 years later.

The closely contested match was influenced by a hostile atmosphere and ended with the Dutch players refusing to attend the award ceremony after Argentina grabbed the title in extra time.

Argentina 3–1 (a.e.t.) Netherlands
Kempes 38', 105'
Bertoni 115'
Report Nanninga 82'
Argentina
Netherlands
GK 5 Ubaldo Fillol
RB 15 Jorge Olguín
CB 7 Luis Galván
CB 19 Daniel Passarella (c)
LB 20 Alberto Tarantini
DM 6 Américo Gallego
CM 2 Osvaldo Ardiles Yellow card 40' downward-facing red arrow 66'
AM 10 Mario Kempes
RW 4 Daniel Bertoni
LW 16 Oscar Alberto Ortiz downward-facing red arrow 75'
CF 14 Leopoldo Luque
Substitutes:
MF 1 Norberto Alonso
GK 3 Héctor Baley
MF 8 Rubén Galván
MF 9 René Houseman upward-facing green arrow 75'
MF 12 Omar Larrosa Yellow card 93' upward-facing green arrow 66'
Manager:
César Luis Menotti
GK 8 Jan Jongbloed
SW 5 Ruud Krol (c) Yellow card 15'
RB 6 Wim Jansen downward-facing red arrow 75'
CB 22 Ernie Brandts
LB 2 Jan Poortvliet Yellow card 96'
RM 13 Johan Neeskens
CM 9 Arie Haan
LM 11 Willy van de Kerkhof
RF 10 René van de Kerkhof
CF 16 Johnny Rep downward-facing red arrow 58'
LF 12 Rob Rensenbrink
Substitutes:
DF 4 Adrie van Kraay
DF 17 Wim Rijsbergen
FW 18 Dick Nanninga upward-facing green arrow 58'
GK 19 Pim Doesburg
DF 20 Wim Suurbier Yellow card 94' upward-facing green arrow 75'
Manager:
Austria Ernst Happel

Eight years after the victory on home soil, Argentina won the World Cup title for the second time. Diego Maradona was voted Best Player of the tournament after scoring five goals and assisting the decisive 3-2 by Jorge Burruchaga in the 84th minute of the final. The match was played in front of a record attendance of 114,600 people.

Argentina 3–2 West Germany
Brown 23'
Valdano 56'
Burruchaga 84'
Report Rummenigge 74'
Völler 81'
Argentina
West Germany
GK 18 Nery Pumpido Yellow card 85'
SW 5 José Luis Brown
CB 9 José Luis Cuciuffo
CB 19 Oscar Ruggeri
RWB 14 Ricardo Giusti
LWB 16 Julio Olarticoechea Yellow card 77'
DM 2 Sergio Batista
CM 7 Jorge Burruchaga downward-facing red arrow 90'
CM 12 Héctor Enrique Yellow card 81'
SS 10 Diego Maradona (c) Yellow card 17'
CF 11 Jorge Valdano
Substitutions:
MF 21 Marcelo Trobbiani upward-facing green arrow 90'
Manager:
Carlos Bilardo
GK 1 Harald Schumacher
SW 17 Ditmar Jakobs
CB 4 Karlheinz Förster
CB 2 Hans-Peter Briegel Yellow card 62'
RWB 14 Thomas Berthold
LWB 3 Andreas Brehme
CM 6 Norbert Eder
CM 8 Lothar Matthäus Yellow card 21'
AM 10 Felix Magath downward-facing red arrow 62'
CF 11 Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (c)
CF 19 Klaus Allofs downward-facing red arrow 46'
Substitutions:
FW 9 Rudi Völler upward-facing green arrow 46'
FW 20 Dieter Hoeneß upward-facing green arrow 62'
Manager:
Franz Beckenbauer

In 1990, Argentina faced West Germany in a repeat of the 1986 edition. Pedro Monzón became the first player ever to be sent off in a World Cup final, but was later joined by teammate Gustavo Dezotti. The match was decided by a penalty kick in favour of Germany.

West Germany 1–0 Argentina
Brehme 85' (pen.) Report
Attendance: 73,603
West Germany
Argentina
GK 1 Bodo Illgner
SW 5 Klaus Augenthaler
CB 6 Guido Buchwald
CB 4 Jürgen Kohler
RWB 14 Thomas Berthold downward-facing red arrow 73'
LWB 3 Andreas Brehme
CM 8 Thomas Häßler
CM 10 Lothar Matthäus (c)
CM 7 Pierre Littbarski
CF 9 Rudi Völler Yellow card 52'
CF 18 Jürgen Klinsmann
Substitutes:
GK 12 Raimond Aumann
DF 2 Stefan Reuter upward-facing green arrow 73'
MF 15 Uwe Bein
MF 20 Olaf Thon
FW 13 Karl-Heinz Riedle
Manager:
Franz Beckenbauer
GK 12 Sergio Goycochea
SW 20 Juan Simón
CB 18 José Serrizuela
CB 19 Oscar Ruggeri downward-facing red arrow 46'
RWB 4 José Basualdo
LWB 17 Roberto Sensini
DM 13 Néstor Lorenzo
CM 7 Jorge Burruchaga downward-facing red arrow 53'
CM 21 Pedro Troglio Yellow card 84'
SS 10 Diego Maradona (c) Yellow card 87'
CF 9 Gustavo Dezotti Yellow card 5' Red card 87'
Substitutes:
GK 22 Fabián Cancelarich
DF 5 Edgardo Bauza
DF 15 Pedro Monzón Red card 65' upward-facing green arrow 46'
MF 6 Gabriel Calderón upward-facing green arrow 53'
FW 3 Abel Balbo
Manager:
Carlos Bilardo

In 2014, Argentina reached the final for the fifth time and for a third time had to face the German team, making it the most recurrent meeting for a final. In spite of a number of chances on both sides, regular time finished goalless. In the second half of extra time, substitute striker Mario Götze scored the decisive goal for Germany.

Germany 1–0 (a.e.t.) Argentina
Report
Germany
Argentina
GK 1 Manuel Neuer
RB 16 Philipp Lahm (c)
CB 20 Jérôme Boateng
CB 5 Mats Hummels
LB 4 Benedikt Höwedes Yellow card 34'
CM 23 Christoph Kramer downward-facing red arrow 31'
CM 7 Bastian Schweinsteiger Yellow card 29'
RW 13 Thomas Müller
AM 18 Toni Kroos
LW 8 Mesut Özil downward-facing red arrow 120'
CF 11 Miroslav Klose downward-facing red arrow 88'
Substitutions:
FW 9 André Schürrle upward-facing green arrow 31'
MF 19 Mario Götze upward-facing green arrow 88'
DF 17 Per Mertesacker upward-facing green arrow 120'
Manager:
Joachim Löw
GK 1 Sergio Romero
RB 4 Pablo Zabaleta
CB 15 Martín Demichelis
CB 2 Ezequiel Garay
LB 16 Marcos Rojo
CM 14 Javier Mascherano Yellow card 64'
CM 6 Lucas Biglia
RW 8 Enzo Pérez downward-facing red arrow 86'
LW 22 Ezequiel Lavezzi downward-facing red arrow 46'
SS 10 Lionel Messi (c)
CF 9 Gonzalo Higuaín downward-facing red arrow 78'
Substitutions:
FW 20 Sergio Agüero Yellow card 65' upward-facing green arrow 46'
FW 18 Rodrigo Palacio upward-facing green arrow 78'
MF 5 Fernando Gago upward-facing green arrow 86'
Manager:
Alejandro Sabella

Argentina opened up the scoring when Messi scored a penalty kick, and doubled their lead with a Di Maria goal in the 36th minute.[4] France made two substitutions in the first half, but went into half-time trailing 0–2.[5] Despite not having a shot until after the 80th minute, France were awarded a penalty as Randal Kolo Muani was brought down in the penalty area. Mbappé scored the penalty, and added a second goal less than two minutes later to equalise the scores.[5] With the scores tied, the match went to extra time. Messi scored again for Argentina in the second extra time half. Mbappé was awarded a second penalty in the 118th minute after his initial shot hit the arm of Gonzalo Montiel. Mbappé scored his third goal, becoming the second player to score a hat-trick in the final of a men's World Cup.[5] With the scores tied at 3–3, the match was completed by a penalty shootout. Argentina won the final after scoring all of their penalties, winning 4–2.[5]

Argentina 3–3 (a.e.t.) France
Report
Penalties
4–2
Attendance: 88,966


Argentina
France
GK 23 Emiliano Martínez Yellow card 120+5'
RB 26 Nahuel Molina downward-facing red arrow 91'
CB 13 Cristian Romero
CB 19 Nicolás Otamendi
LB 3 Nicolás Tagliafico downward-facing red arrow 120+1'
DM 24 Enzo Fernández Yellow card 45+7'
CM 7 Rodrigo De Paul downward-facing red arrow 102'
CM 20 Alexis Mac Allister downward-facing red arrow 116'
RF 10 Lionel Messi (c)
CF 9 Julián Álvarez downward-facing red arrow 102'
LF 11 Ángel Di María downward-facing red arrow 64'
Substitutions:
MF 8 Marcos Acuña Yellow card 90+8' upward-facing green arrow 64'
DF 4 Gonzalo Montiel Yellow card 116' upward-facing green arrow 91'
MF 5 Leandro Paredes Yellow card 114' upward-facing green arrow 102'
FW 22 Lautaro Martínez upward-facing green arrow 102'
DF 6 Germán Pezzella upward-facing green arrow 116'
FW 21 Paulo Dybala upward-facing green arrow 120+1'
Manager:
Lionel Scaloni
GK 1 Hugo Lloris (c)
RB 5 Jules Koundé downward-facing red arrow 120+1'
CB 4 Raphaël Varane downward-facing red arrow 113'
CB 18 Dayot Upamecano
LB 22 Théo Hernandez downward-facing red arrow 71'
CM 8 Aurélien Tchouaméni
CM 14 Adrien Rabiot Yellow card 55' downward-facing red arrow 96'
RW 11 Ousmane Dembélé downward-facing red arrow 41'
AM 7 Antoine Griezmann downward-facing red arrow 71'
LW 10 Kylian Mbappé
CF 9 Olivier Giroud Yellow card 90+5' downward-facing red arrow 41'
Substitutions:
FW 12 Randal Kolo Muani upward-facing green arrow 41'
FW 26 Marcus Thuram Yellow card 87' upward-facing green arrow 41'
FW 20 Kingsley Coman upward-facing green arrow 71'
MF 25 Eduardo Camavinga upward-facing green arrow 71'
MF 13 Youssouf Fofana upward-facing green arrow 96'
DF 24 Ibrahima Konaté upward-facing green arrow 113'
DF 3 Axel Disasi upward-facing green arrow 120+1'
Manager:
Didier Deschamps

Record by opponent

[edit]

Argentina have played a total of 88 FIFA World Cup games through 18 tournaments, facing 39 rivals.

FIFA World Cup matches (by team)
Opponent Pld W D L GF GA GD Confederation
 France 4 2 1 1 9 8 1 UEFA
 Mexico 4 4 0 0 13 5 8 CONCACAF
 Chile 1 1 0 0 3 1 2 CONMEBOL
 United States 1 1 0 0 6 1 5 CONCACAF
 Uruguay 2 1 0 1 3 4 −1 CONMEBOL
 Sweden 2 0 1 1 3 4 −1 UEFA
 Germany 7 1 2 4 5 12 −7 UEFA
 Northern Ireland 1 1 0 0 3 1 2 UEFA
 Czechoslovakia 1 0 0 1 1 6 -5 UEFA
 Bulgaria 3 2 0 1 3 2 1 UEFA
 England 5 1 1 3 5 8 −3 UEFA
 Hungary 3 2 1 0 6 2 4 UEFA
 Spain 1 1 0 0 2 1 1 UEFA
  Switzerland 2 2 0 0 3 0 3 UEFA
 Poland 3 2 0 1 6 3 3 UEFA
 Italy 5 0 3 2 4 6 −2 UEFA
 Haiti 1 1 0 0 4 1 3 CONCACAF
 Netherlands 6 2 3 2 6 9 −3 UEFA
 Brazil 4 1 1 2 3 5 −2 CONMEBOL
 East Germany* 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 UEFA
 Peru 1 1 0 0 6 0 6 CONMEBOL
 Belgium 3 2 0 1 3 1 2 UEFA
 El Salvador 1 1 0 0 2 0 2 CONCACAF
 South Korea 2 2 0 0 7 2 5 AFC
 Cameroon 1 0 0 1 0 1 −1 CAF
 Soviet Union* 1 1 0 0 2 0 2 UEFA
 Romania 2 0 1 1 3 4 −1 UEFA
 Serbia+ 2 1 1 0 6 0 6 UEFA
 Greece 2 2 0 0 6 0 6 UEFA
 Nigeria 5 5 0 0 9 4 5 CAF
 Japan 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 AFC
 Jamaica 1 1 0 0 5 0 5 CONCACAF
 Croatia 3 2 0 1 4 3 +1 UEFA
 Ivory Coast 1 1 0 0 2 1 1 CAF
 Bosnia and Herzegovina 1 1 0 0 2 1 1 UEFA
 Iran 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 AFC
 Iceland 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 UEFA
 Saudi Arabia 1 0 0 1 1 2 −1 AFC
 Australia 1 1 0 0 2 1 1 AFC

Teams in bold denote world cup winners, teams in italics show teams which played its first match ever in a World Cup against Argentina.
Teams with a * mark no longer exist. East Germany was annexed to Germany. Soviet Union now plays as Russia.
+Played as Yugoslavia and Serbia and Montenegro.

Head coaches

[edit]

Through Argentinian team history, several coaches had trained it with different football styles from offensive to defensive tactics. There are two predominant 'football schools' about world champions coaches César Menotti who propagates possession and well-look play and Carlos Bilardo who prioritize results and tactical order. These head coaches divides Argentine fans kindly.[6] Other managers such as Marcelo Bielsa has got his own football style. In another way this list shows records in World Cups and in qualifying stages excluding friendlies.

By tournament At FIFA World Cup In qualification Total
Coach Years Pld W D L W % Pts % Pld W D L W % Pts % Pld W D L W % Pts %
Olazar and Tramutola Uruguay 1930 5 4 0 1 80% 80% Not played 5 4 0 1 80% 80%
Felipe Pascucci Italy 1934 1 0 0 1 0% 0% Not played 1 0 0 1 0% 0%
Guillermo Stábile Sweden 1958 3 1 0 2 33.3% 33.3% 4 3 0 1 75% 75% 9 6 0 3 66.6% 66.6%
Chile 1962 He did not manage this Cup 2 2 0 0 100% 100%
Juan Carlos Lorenzo Chile 1962 3 1 1 1 33.3% 50% He did not manage these qualifiers 7 3 2 2 42.9% 57.1%
England 1966 4 2 1 1 50% 62.5%
José María Minella England 1966 He did not manage this Cup 4 3 1 0 75% 87.5% 4 3 1 0 75% 87.5%
Adolfo Pedernera Mexico 1970 did not qualify 4 1 1 2 25% 37.5% 4 1 1 2 25% 37.5%
Omar Sívori West Germany 1974 He did not manage this Cup 4 3 1 0 75% 87.5% 4 3 1 0 75% 87.5%
Vladislao Cap West Germany 1974 6 1 2 3 16.7% 33.3% He did not manage these qualifiers 6 1 2 3 16.7% 33.3%
César Menotti Argentina 1978 7 5 1 1 71.4% 78.6% Qualified as hosts 12 7 1 4 58.3% 62.5%
Spain 1982 5 2 0 3 40% 40% Qualified as defending champions
Carlos Bilardo Mexico 1986 7 6 1 0 85.7% 92.9% 6 4 1 1 66.7% 75% 20 14 3 3 70% 75%
Italy 1990 7 4 1 2 57.1% 61.9% Qualified as defending champions
Alfio Basile United States 1994 4 2 0 2 50% 50% 8 4 2 2 50% 62.5% 12 6 2 4 42.9% 52.4%
South Africa 2010 He did not manage this Cup 10 4 4 2 40% 53.3%
Daniel Passarella France 1998 5 3 1 1 80% 80% 16 8 6 2 50% 62.5% 21 12 6 3 57.1% 66.6%
Marcelo Bielsa South KoreaJapan 2002 3 1 1 1 33.3% 44.4% 18 13 4 1 72.2% 79.6% 18 13 4 1 66.7% 74.6%
José Pekerman Germany 2006 5 3 2 0 60% 73.3% 18 10 4 4 55.5% 62.9% 23 13 5 5 56.5% 63.7%
Diego Maradona South Africa 2010 5 4 0 1 80% 80% 8 4 0 4 50% 50% 13 8 0 5 61.5% 61.2%
Alejandro Sabella Brazil 2014 7 6 0 1 85.7% 85.7% 16 10 4 2 62.5% 70.8% 23 16 4 3 69.5% 75.3%
Gerardo Martino Russia 2018 He did not manage this Cup 6 3 2 1 50% 61.1% 6 3 2 1 50% 61.1%
Edgardo Bauza Russia 2018 He did not manage this Cup 8 3 2 3 37.5% 45.8% 8 3 2 3 37.5% 45.8%
Jorge Sampaoli Russia 2018 4 1 1 2 25% 33.3% 4 1 3 0 25% 50% 8 2 4 2 25% 41.7%
Lionel Scaloni Qatar 2022 7 4 2 1 57.1% 66.7% 17 11 6 0 64.7% 76.5% 24 15 8 1 62.5% 73.6%

From 1994 towards, three points are given for a win. Previously were two.

Against conferences

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FIFA delegates regional qualification and other organization affairs to continental conferences, so it divides into six differents of them grouped by geographical location. Argentina plays in CONMEBOL conference in South America. Due to World Cup rules that two teams of same confederation can not play in the same group in first round except for UEFA, it commonly faces teams which plays outside its continent most recently from Africa and Asia. Argentine national has never played versus an Oceanian (OFC) squad.

FIFA World Cup matches (by conference)
Confederation Pld W D L GF GA GD % of pts % of wins
UEFA 55 26 8 21 74 68 6 52.12% 47.27%
CONMEBOL 8 4 1 3 15 10 5 54.16% 50%
CONCACAF 7 7 0 0 28 7 21 100% 100%
CAF 7 6 0 1 11 6 5 85.71% 85.71%
AFC 5 4 0 1 10 4 6 80% 80%

Against debutants

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'Albiceleste' has played against first-world-cup teams more than other, doing so 17 times, 7 of them being the first World Cup match ever. This list shows records versus those selections including all-debutants 1930 edition. Curiously, Argentina's debut was versus France which previously had played before.

Opponent Pld W D L GF GA GD
Debutants 7 5 1 1 13 6 7
Teams in 1st their WC 17 13 2 2 45 18 27

Sweden, Bulgaria, Greece, Japan, Ivory Coast, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Iceland played its first time against Argentina.
France, Mexico, Chile, United States, Uruguay, Northern Ireland, Haiti, East Germany, Jamaica and Croatia played in its first world cup but after first game.

Records and statistics

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Most appearances

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Lionel Messi has captained the team in 19 matches. Lionel Messi's total of 26 matches is a record for the side and the most for a player at the FIFA World Cup.

Rank Player Matches World Cups
1 Lionel Messi 26 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022
2 Diego Maradona 21 1982, 1986, 1990 and 1994
3 Javier Mascherano 20 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2018
4 Mario Kempes 18 1974, 1978 and 1982
5 Ángel Di María 17 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022
6 Oscar Ruggeri 16 1986, 1990 and 1994
7
Jorge Burruchaga 14 1986 and 1990
Gonzalo Higuaín 14 2010, 2014 and 2018
9 Ubaldo Fillol 13 1974, 1978 and 1982

Top goalscorers

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Rank Player Goals World Cups
1 Lionel Messi 13 2006 (1), 2014 (4), 2018 (1) and 2022 (7)
2 Gabriel Batistuta 10 1994 (4), 1998 (5) and 2002 (1)
3 Guillermo Stábile 8 1930
Diego Maradona 8 1982 (2), 1986 (5) and 1994 (1)
5 Mario Kempes 6 1978
6 Gonzalo Higuaín 5 2010 (4) and 2014 (1)
7 Seven players 4

Goalscoring by tournament

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World Cup Goalscorer(s)
1930 Guillermo Stábile (8), Carlos Peucelle (3), Luis Monti (2), Adolfo Zumelzú (2), Mario Evaristo, Alejandro Scopelli, Francisco Varallo
1934 Ernesto Belis, Alberto Galateo
1958 Omar Oreste Corbatta (3), Ludovico Avio, Norberto Menéndez
1962 Héctor Facundo, José Sanfilippo
1966 Luis Artime (3), Ermindo Onega
1974 René Houseman (3), Héctor Yazalde (2), Rubén Ayala, Carlos Babington, Miguel Ángel Brindisi, Ramón Heredia
1978 Mario Kempes (6), Leopoldo Luque (4), Daniel Bertoni (2), René Houseman, Daniel Passarella, Alberto Tarantini
1982 Daniel Bertoni (2), Diego Maradona (2), Daniel Passarella (2), Osvaldo Ardiles, Ramón Díaz
1986 Diego Maradona (5), Jorge Valdano (4), Jorge Burruchaga (2), José Luis Brown, Pedro Pasculli, Oscar Ruggeri
1990 Claudio Caniggia (2), Jorge Burruchaga, Pedro Monzón, Pedro Troglio
1994 Gabriel Batistuta (4), Claudio Caniggia (2), Abel Balbo, Diego Maradona
1998 Gabriel Batistuta (5), Ariel Ortega (2), Claudio López, Mauricio Pineda, Javier Zanetti
2002 Gabriel Batistuta, Hernán Crespo
2006 Hernán Crespo (3), Maxi Rodríguez (3), Roberto Ayala, Esteban Cambiasso, Lionel Messi, Javier Saviola, Carlos Tevez
2010 Gonzalo Higuaín (4), Carlos Tevez (2), Martin Demichelis, Gabriel Heinze, Martin Palermo, Own Goal
2014 Lionel Messi (4), Ángel Di María, Gonzalo Higuaín, Marcos Rojo, Own Goal
2018 Sergio Agüero (2), Lionel Messi, Marcos Rojo, Ángel Di María, Gabriel Mercado
2022 Lionel Messi (7), Julián Álvarez (4), Enzo Fernández, Alexis Mac Allister, Nahuel Molina, Ángel Di María

Awards

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Team

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  • World Champions 1978
  • World Champions 1986
  • World Champions 2022
  • 2nd Place 1930
  • 2nd Place 1990
  • 2nd Place 2014
  • Fair Play Award 1978

Individual

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Standing alone

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  • Most played final against the same team: 3 times versus Germany in 1986, 1990 and 2014.
  • Most played against the same team in same stage: 5 times versus Nigeria in 1994, 2002, 2010, 2014 and 2018 all in group stage. Last three of them make most times consecutive, too. All won by Argentina by one goal difference.
  • Most played semifinals without losses: 6 times won in 1930, 1986 and 2022 while drawn in 1990 and 2014. Although in 1978 there weren't semifinals, Argentina won second round group ahead of Brazil which disputed 3rd place match against Italy. Even more, game against Brazil ended in a 0–0 draw.
  • Most played penalty shoot-outs: 7 (twice in 1990, 1998, 2006, 2014 and twice in 2022).
  • Fewest goals for a finalist: 1990 (5).
  • Youngest coach: Juan José Tramutola aged 27 years and 267 days in 1930.[7][8]
  • Most hat-tricks scored in multiple editions: Gabriel Batistuta in 1994 against Greece and in 1998 against Jamaica.[9]

Shared

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Miscellaneous

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Argentina's game versus West Germany in 1958 featured a yellow jersey instead of the traditional light blue and white colors or blue as alternate. This was because both teams wore white jerseys, creating confusion. As the South American side forgot to bring an alternate one, they decided to borrow jerseys from local team club Malmö. Germany won 3–1.[11][12]

In the 1978 France - Hungary match something similar occurred. Both teams arrived to the match with white jerseys, so France was forced to borrow jerseys from Mar del Plata's local club Kimberley. France wore striped green and white keeping the traditional blue shorts and red socks. France won 3–1.[13][14]

The stadium José María Minella is the southernmost World Cup venue located at 38°0′0″S 57°33′0″W / 38.00000°S 57.55000°W / -38.00000; -57.55000. Including France vs. Hungary, several matches of the 1978 World Cup were played in this stadium. Mar del Plata is in the south of Buenos Aires Province.[15]

Referees

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As a major CONMEBOL member, Argentina has been represented by match officials in nearly every tournament. In 2006, Horacio Elizondo refereed the final between France and Italy, where he sent off Zinedine Zidane after a headbutt to an opponent. In 2018, Néstor Pitana did it when France played versus Croatia. They are also the only two who refereed the opening game in the same tournament.

See also

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[edit]

Notes

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  1. ^ Argentina's 100th WC goal

References

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  1. ^ "1934 Qualy". RSSSF.
  2. ^ a b "Whitdraw decisions" (in Spanish). Diario Ovación.
  3. ^ a b This is one of several goals for which the statistical details are disputed. The goalscorers and timings used here are those of FIFA, the official record. Some other sources, such as RSSSF, state a different scorer and/or timing. See "World Cup 1930 finals". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 3 December 2008. Retrieved 1 December 2008..
  4. ^ "2022 World Cup final: Argentina 3-3 France (aet, 4-2 on pens) – as it happened". the Guardian. December 18, 2022.
  5. ^ a b c d "Argentina wins World Cup on penalty kicks over France: Live updates". NBC News.
  6. ^ "Football school of play". Diario Clarín.
  7. ^ "Youngest coach". fifa.com. Archived from the original on July 8, 2018.
  8. ^ "27 years". fifa.com. Archived from the original on July 8, 2018.
  9. ^ "hat-trick". fifa.com.
  10. ^ "two finals". fifa.com. Archived from the original on October 12, 2015.
  11. ^ "Argentina Yellow". El Gráfico.
  12. ^ "1958 coin toss". En una baldosa.
  13. ^ "Kimberley". pinimg.com.
  14. ^ "France-Hungary". www.squadnumbers.com.
  15. ^ "José María Minella". RSSSF.