The Best Soccer Players From Argentina

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Updated May 1, 2024 73.2K views 150 items
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Vote up the best Argentina footballers of all time.

Who are the best football players from Argentina? This list includes the greatest soccer player born in Argentina or who represented Argentina internationally. While the Argentina men's national team has a long and storied history of producing top international talent, fans of La Albiceleste had to wait a while for the white and sky blues to finally lift a trophy, as they did in the 2021 Copa América. So, who are the best footballers from Argentina? Who is the best Argentina soccer player of all time?

Some of the best Argentina soccer players include national legends like World Cup champion Diego Maradona, seven-time  Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi, Javier Mascherano, Ángel di María, Sergio Agüero, and Carlos Tevez. There are also current Argentina football stars such as Lautaro Martínez, Paulo Dybala, and Lisandro Martínez, who've made an impact on football across the globe.

Vote up the best soccer players from the Argentina, and help decide who is the greatest Argentine footballer of all time!

Most divisive: José Basualdo
Over 1.0K Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of Argentinian Footballers
  • Lionel Messi
    1
    923 votes
    Lionel "Leo" Andrés Messi (born 24 June 1987) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays for Paris Saint-Germain and captains the Argentina national team. Often considered the best player in the world and widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, Messi has won a record six Ballon d'Or awards, a record six European Golden Shoes, and in 2020 was named to the Ballon d'Or Dream Team. Until leaving the club in 2021, he had spent his entire professional career with Barcelona, where he won a club-record 35 trophies, including ten La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey titles and four UEFA Champions Leagues. A prolific goalscorer and creative playmaker, Messi holds the records for most goals in La Liga (474), a La Liga and European league season (50), most hat-tricks in La Liga (36) and the UEFA Champions League (8), and most assists in La Liga (192), a La Liga and European league season (21) and the Copa América (17). He's scored over 750 senior career goals.
  • Diego Maradona
    2
    705 votes
    Diego Maradona, born on October 30, 1960, in Lanús, Buenos Aires, Argentina, was a football maestro who made an indelible impression on the global sports scene. His journey from the shanty town of Villa Fiorito to becoming one of the most iconic figures in football is nothing short of extraordinary. He was known for his exceptional skill, audacious style, and ability to both create and score goals, earning him accolades worldwide. Maradona shot to prominence after joining the Argentinos Juniors at the tender age of 10. His dazzling performances caught the attention of Boca Juniors, one of Argentina's most prestigious clubs, where he honed his skills before securing a high-profile transfer to Barcelona in Spain. However, it was at Napoli in Italy where Maradona truly etched his name into football folklore. Under his leadership, Napoli won their first-ever Serie A title in 1987 and repeated the feat in 1990, with Maradona being instrumental in both campaigns. Internationally, Maradona's crowning glory came in the 1986 World Cup, where he led Argentina to victory. His infamous Hand of God goal and his brilliant solo effort against England in the quarterfinals are still talked about today. Despite facing numerous challenges, including battles with drug addiction and health issues, Maradona's contributions to football remain unparalleled. He passed away on November 25, 2020, leaving behind a legacy that has inspired generations of footballers.
  • Javier Zanetti
    3
    331 votes
    Javier Adelmar Zanetti (Spanish pronunciation: [xaˈβjeɾ saˈneti]; Italian: [dzaˈnetti]; born 10 August 1973) is an Argentine former professional footballer who played as a defender or midfielder. He started his career in Argentina, first with Talleres, and then Banfield. From 1995 to 2014 he played for Italian club Inter Milan, and served as captain from 2001.With 1,114 official games played, he is seventh on the list of players in history with the most career appearances. He is also the foreign player with the most appearances in Serie A (615), and holds the fourth-most appearances in the league, behind only Paolo Maldini, Gianluigi Buffon and Francesco Totti. He is the most capped player in the history of Inter (858), and won 16 trophies with the club: five Scudetti, four Coppa Italia, four Supercoppa Italiana, one UEFA Cup, one Champions League and the FIFA Club World Cup. He is also the most capped player as captain in the Champions League (82). With the Argentina national team he played in 143 games, a figure that makes him the second player with the most appearances in the history of La Albiceleste, having held the record from 2007 to 2018. With Argentina he reached the final of the Copa América in 2004 and 2007, and the Confederations Cup in 1995 and 2005. Known for his versatility, he was adept on both the left and right wing, having played on both flanks as a full back. On retiring, the club retired his number 4 jersey and named him as its vice president. He has been named an ambassador for the SOS Children's Villages project in Argentina by FIFA, and in 2005 he received the Ambrogino d'Oro award from the city of Milan for his social initiatives. Zanetti is also a Global Ambassador for the Special Olympics.
  • Javier Mascherano
    4
    159 votes
    Javier Alejandro Mascherano (Spanish pronunciation: [xaˈβjeɾ mastʃeˈɾano]; born 8 June 1984) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder or centre-back for Chinese club Hebei China Fortune. Nicknamed "El Jefecito" ("The Little Chief"), Mascherano is a versatile and tactically intelligent footballer, with an excellent ability to read the game and organise his team; he is known in particular for his leadership skills, passing accuracy, tough marking of opponents, and hard-tackling style of play. Regarding Mascherano's playing style, Jonathan Wilson noted in a 2013 article for The Guardian that he was an example of a type of holding midfielder that he dubbed a destroyer, who "clattered about making tackles and collecting bookings, his role almost entirely of regaining possession and distributing it simply."Mascherano began his career at River Plate, where he earned his first senior honours, the Primera División Argentina, in 2003–04. He moved to Brazilian side Corinthians in 2005, winning the Brazilian Série A in his first season. Mascherano then moved to Europe, signing for Premier League side West Ham United, but his brief time at the club was blighted by unusual contract terms with Global Soccer Agencies. At the beginning of 2007, he joined Liverpool on loan, reaching the final of the UEFA Champions League, before he signed with the club for £18.7 million. After three years playing for Liverpool, Mascherano joined Barcelona in 2010, where he changed his position of defensive midfielder to full central defender. With Barcelona, he won five La Liga championships, two UEFA Champions League titles, and two FIFA Club World Cups, among other honours. Mascherano made 147 appearances for the Argentina national team and is the most capped player in the country's history. From his debut in 2003 until his retirement in 2018, he represented the nation at five Copa América tournaments, finishing runner-up in 2004, 2007, 2015, and 2016, and four FIFA World Cups, reaching the 2014 final. He twice won a gold medal at the Summer Olympics, in 2004 and 2008, becoming the first male footballer to achieve this double feat since 1968. Between 2008 and 2011, Mascherano served as the captain of Argentina.
  • Daniel Passarella
    5
    240 votes
    Daniel Alberto Passarella (born 25 May 1953) is an Argentine retired footballer who played as a centre back, and former manager of the Argentina and Uruguay national football teams. He was captain of the Argentina team that won the 1978 World Cup. He was president of the River Plate sports club for 4 years after winning the elections by a very close margin in December 2009. Considered one of the greatest defenders of all time, Passarella was also a proficient goalscorer; at one point he was football's top scoring defender, with 134 goals in 451 matches, a record subsequently broken by Dutch defender Ronald Koeman. In 2004, Passarella was named one of the 125 Greatest Living Footballers at a FIFA Awards Ceremony. In 2007, The Times placed him at number 36 in their list of the 50 hardest footballers in history. In 2017 he has been included in the FourFourTwo list of the 100 all-time greatest players, at the 56th position.
  • Ángel di María
    6
    471 votes
    Ángel Fabián Di María (born 14 February 1988) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays for Serie A club Juventus and the Argentina national team. He can play as either a winger or attacking midfielder. He is generally considered one of the best wingers in the world. Di María made his senior international debut for Argentina in 2008 at age 20, and has since earned over 120 caps, including appearances in eight major tournaments. He scored the goal that won the country gold at the 2008 Olympics, and featured in the 2014 FIFA World Cup, the 2015 Copa América and the Copa América Centenario; Di María helped Argentina win the 2021 Copa América, scoring the only goal in the final.
  • Mario Kempes
    7
    308 votes
    Mario Alberto Kempes Chiodi (born 15 July 1954 in Bell Ville, Córdoba) is a retired Argentine footballer who played as a striker. His father, Mario, also a footballer, inspired him to play from a young age. At the age of seven he began playing with a junior team and at fourteen, he joined the Talleres reserves. A prolific goalscorer, at club level he is best known for playing for Valencia, finishing as La Liga's top goalscorer twice, and amassing 116 goals in 184 league games for the club. At international level, Kempes was the focal point of Argentina's 1978 World Cup win where he scored twice in the final, and received the Golden Boot as top goalscorer. He also won the Golden Ball for the player of the tournament, making him one of only three players to have won all three awards at a single World Cup, along with Garrincha in 1962, and Paolo Rossi in 1982. Kempes won South American Footballer of the Year, Onze d'Or European footballer of the Year, and World Cup Golden Ball in 1978. In 2004, he was named as one of the Top 125 greatest living footballers as part of FIFA's 100th anniversary celebration.
  • Sergio Agüero
    8
    387 votes
    Sergio Leonel Agüero del Castillo (born 2 June 1988), also known as Kun Agüero, is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a striker for La Liga club Barcelona and the Argentina national team. He wears "Kun" on his shirt, a childhood nickname based on the title character from the cartoon Kum-Kum.He is considered one of the best strikers of his generation and one of the best players in the history of the Premier League, during his decade-long association with Manchester City.
  • Hernán Crespo
    9
    217 votes
    Hernán Jorge Crespo (Spanish pronunciation: [eɾˈnaŋ ˈxoɾxe ˈkɾespo]; born 5 July 1975) is an Argentine professional football coach and former player who is the manager of Argentine Primera División club Banfield. A prolific striker, he has scored over 300 goals in a career spanning 19 years. At international level, Crespo scored 35 goals and is Argentina's fourth highest goalscorer behind only Sergio Agüero, Gabriel Batistuta and Lionel Messi. He played in three FIFA World Cups: 1998, 2002, 2006. At club level, Crespo was the world's most expensive player, when he was bought by Lazio from Parma in 2000 for €56 million (£35.5 million). He was top scorer in the 2000–01 Serie A with 26 goals, playing for Lazio. Crespo's awards include three Serie A scudetti, a Copa Libertadores, a Premier League title and an Olympic Games silver medal. In 2004, he was named by Pelé in the FIFA 100 list of the world's greatest living players. Crespo never received a red card during his career.
  • Juan Román Riquelme
    10
    245 votes
    Juan Román Riquelme (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈxwan roˈman riˈkelme]; born 24 June 1978) is a retired Argentine footballer. An attacking midfielder, he spent most of his career with Argentine club Boca Juniors, where he won ten titles, but also had a significant spell in Spain with Villarreal; he also had stints with Barcelona and Argentinos Juniors in Spain and Argentina respectively. Riquelme was named the Argentine Footballer of the Year four times. An Argentine international for 11 years, Riquelme represented the nation at the 2006 World Cup and two Copa América tournaments, reaching the final in the 2007 edition; he also participated in the 2005 Confederations with Argentina, reaching the final, and he led his country as captain to win a Gold medal at the 2008 Olympics.
  • Carlos Tevez
    11
    202 votes
    Carlos Alberto Tevez (born 5 February 1984) is an Argentine former professional footballer. A quick, tenacious, powerful, hard-working and dynamic forward in his prime, Tevez is capable of playing as a striker, as a winger, as a supporting forward, or as an attacking midfielder. Tevez began his career with Boca Juniors, winning the Copa Libertadores and Intercontinental Cup in 2003 before moving to Brazilian club Corinthians, where he won the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A. His moves to English clubs West Ham United in 2006 and Manchester United in 2007. In 2009, Tevez joined Manchester United's rivals Manchester City. In the 2010–11 season he won the Premier League Golden Boot, and in the 2011–12 season he won the Premier League title. In 2013, he joined Juventus, where he won two Scudetti among other trophies. Tevez made his international debut for Argentina in 2004, earning 76 caps and scoring 13 times for the side.
  • Damián Emiliano Martínez Romero (born 2 September 1992) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Premier League club Aston Villa and the Argentina national team.
  • Paulo Dybala
    13
    278 votes
    Paulo Exequiel Dybala (born 15 November 1993) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for Serie A club Roma and the Argentina national team. Dybala made his senior international debut for Argentina in 2015 at age 21, and has since earned 30 caps, including appearing at the 2018 FIFA World Cup and the 2019 Copa América. In the latter, he scored the winning goal to help his nation finish in third-place.
  • Pablo Aimar
    14
    144 votes
    Pablo César Aimar Giordano (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈpaβlo aiˈmaɾ]; born 3 November 1979) is a retired Argentine professional footballer and current coach of the Argentina national under-17 football team. An attacking midfielder, after starting his senior career at River Plate in 1996, he amassed La Liga totals of 215 games and 32 goals over eight seasons with Valencia and Real Zaragoza between 2001 and 2008, before spending five years in Portugal with Benfica, winning nine major titles between the three teams. Aimar earned 52 caps for the Argentina national team over ten years, representing the nation in two FIFA World Cups and two Copa América tournaments, as well as a FIFA Confederations Cup. He reached the final of the 2005 Confederations Cup and the 2007 Copa América with the Argentine national side.
  • Diego Milito
    15
    108 votes
    Diego Alberto Milito (born 12 June 1979) is an Argentine former professional footballer who played as a striker.Milito began his club career in Argentina with Racing Club in 1999, and later moved to Italian side Genoa in 2003. In 2005, he was acquired by Spanish club Real Zaragoza, where he remained for three seasons, before returning to Genoa in 2008. His prolific goalscoring exploits during his second spell with Genoa earned him a move to defending Serie A champions Inter, where he was pivotal in the club's 2009–10 treble-winning season scoring 32 goals in all competitions including two goals in the 2010 UEFA Champions League Final. He returned to Racing Club in 2014, where he retired in 2016. At international level, Milito has earned 25 caps for Argentina, scoring 4 goals, and represented his country in two Copa América tournaments, winning a runners-up medal in 2007, and at the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He has been nicknamed El Príncipe ("The Prince" in Spanish) because of his physical resemblance with former Uruguayan footballer Enzo Francescoli, who had the same nickname. A prolific and consistent centre-forward, Milito has averaged nearly a goal every two appearances over the course of his professional career.
  • Julián Álvarez
    16
    Julián Álvarez (born 31 January 2000) is an Argentine professional footballer who currently plays for Manchester City of the English Premier League and the Argentina national team. Mainly a forward, he can also operate as a winger.
  • Esteban Cambiasso
    17
    97 votes
    Esteban Matías Cambiasso Deleau (Spanish pronunciation: [esˈteβaŋ kamˈbjaso]; born 18 August 1980), nicknamed "Cuchu", is a former Argentine footballer who played as a midfielder. During his professional career, Cambiasso won 21 official titles; the majority of his titles were won during his ten seasons at Internazionale, including five Scudetti and the 2009–10 UEFA Champions League. A full international since 2000, Cambiasso won 52 caps for Argentina, and represented the country at the 2006 World Cup, at the 2005 Confederations Cup, and at the Copa América in 2007 and 2011.
  • Claudio Caniggia
    18
    113 votes
    Claudio Paul Caniggia (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈklauðjo kaˈnixja, kaˈniʝa]; Italian pronunciation: [kaˈniddʒa]; born 9 January 1967) is a retired Argentine footballer who played as forward or winger. Caniggia played 50 times for the Argentina national team. He appeared in three World Cups, and was a member of both rival clubs River Plate and Boca Juniors. A quick, and physically strong striker, with good technique, Caniggia was known for his speed as a player, and competed in athletics before his football career, taking part in athletic tournaments at the provincial level, running the 100 meters. In addition to his ability to score goals consistently, he was also equally capable of playing off other forwards, and creating chances for teammates, and was often deployed as an advanced playmaker or creative forward.At the 1990 FIFA World Cup, Caniggia scored two key goals to help Argentina reach the final. In the opening game of the tournament against Cameroon, he was fouled three times in a single dribble, the last taking him out and earning Benjamin Massing a red card. In the second round match against Brazil, a pass by Diego Maradona put him through against goalkeeper Taffarel, with Caniggia dribbling past him and slotting the ball into the net to give Argentina victory. In the semi-final against Italy, he headed past goalkeeper Walter Zenga, the first goal Italy conceded in the tournament, sending the match into extra time as Argentina won on penalties. Having been booked against Italy, his second in the tournament, Caniggia was suspended for the final against West Germany. Caniggia scored two goals in the 1994 FIFA World Cup, both of them in the first round match against Nigeria, the first from a Gabriel Batistuta free kick rebound and second one from a free kick by Maradona, which Caniggia finished by putting the ball in top right hand corner. As well as appearing for River Plate and Boca Juniors, his other clubs include Atalanta, Benfica, Dundee and Rangers.
  • Oscar Ruggeri
    19
    107 votes
    Oscar Alfredo Ruggeri (born 26 January 1962) is an Argentinian former professional footballer who played as defender. Nicknamed El Cabezón ("The Big-Headed One"), Ruggeri achieved success at the international level with the Argentina national team, being part of the teams that won the 1986 FIFA World Cup, two editions of the Copa América and the 1992 King Fahd Cup. At the club level, Ruggeri's most successful stint was with Argentine club River Plate, where he won the 1986 Copa Libertadores (also the club's first win in this tournament) the 1986 Copa Interamericana and the 1986 Intercontinental Cup. Known for his rough style of play when marking opposing players and aerial ability, Ruggeri is considered one of the all-time best defenders to come out of Argentina. Following his retirement as a player, Ruggeri turned to managing, where he held posts in Argentina, Mexico and Spain. His last job as a manager was in 2006 with Argentine club San Lorenzo. Since then, Ruggeri went on to have a career on Argentine television, as commentator on football shows. He is currently a member of 90 Minutos de Fútbol, which airs in Fox Sports Latin America.
  • Jorge Burruchaga
    20
    78 votes
    Jorge Luis Burruchaga (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈxoɾxe βuruˈtʃaɣa]; nicknamed Burru, born 9 October 1962) is an Argentine association football coach and former professional football player. He played both as an attacking midfielder and forward and is known for scoring the winning goal in the final of the 1986 FIFA World Cup.
  • Gonzalo Montiel
    21
    Gonzalo Ariel Montiel (born 1 January 1997) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as right-back for La Liga club Sevilla and the Argentina national team.
  • Nicolás Otamendi
    22
    93 votes
    Nicolás Hernán Gonzalo Otamendi (born 12 February 1988) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a centre back for Portuguese Primeira Liga club Benfica and the Argentina national team. Otamendi played for Vélez Sarsfield and Porto in his early career, winning eight major titles with Porto, including three Primeira Liga championships and the 2011 Europa League. He signed for Valencia in 2014 and spent four months on loan to Atlético Mineiro of Brazil. In 2015 he moved to Manchester City and won the Premier League in 2017–18 and 2018–19, as well as four League Cups and an FA Cup. An Argentina international since 2009, Otamendi represented his country at two World Cups and four Copas América, in which he contributed to consecutive runner-up finishes before winning the latter honour at the fourth attempt in 2021.
  • Rodrigo De Paul
    23

    Rodrigo De Paul

    Age: 29
    111 votes
    Rodrigo Javier De Paul (born 24 May 1994) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for La Liga club Atlético Madrid and the Argentina national team.
  • Marcelo Gallardo
    24
    39 votes
    Marcelo Daniel Gallardo (American Spanish: [maɾˈselo ɣaˈʝaɾðo]; born 18 January 1976) is an Argentine former footballer and current manager of River Plate.He played as an attacking midfielder in the role of playmaker and represented Argentina in two FIFA World Cups. He is the most successful coach in River Plate's history.
  • Lautaro Javier Martínez (born 22 August 1997) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a striker for Serie A club Inter Milan and the Argentina national team. Martínez began his football career in his native Argentina, where he made his senior debut in 2015 with Racing Club. There he spent four seasons and represented the club in the league and Copa Libertadores, scoring 27 goals in 60 appearances before joining Inter in 2018, where he won the Serie A title in his third season with the club. Martínez also previously represented Argentina at various youth levels and competed at the 2017 South American U-20 Championship and 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup. He made his senior international debut in 2018, and represented the senior squad at the Copa América in 2019, helping his team to a third place finish, and 2021, winning the latter edition of the tournament.
  • Javier Saviola
    26
    81 votes
    Javier Pedro Saviola Fernández (Spanish pronunciation: [xaˈβjeɾ ˈpeðɾo saˈβjola feɾˈnandes]; born 11 December 1981) is an Argentine retired professional footballer who played as a forward. Known for his speed, dribbling and ability to score from almost any attacking position on the field, he represented both Barcelona and Real Madrid and was named as the youngest player on Pelé's FIFA 100 list of the 125 greatest living footballers in 2004. Due to his ancestry he also holds Spanish nationality since 2004, and he amassed La Liga totals of 196 games and 70 goals over the course of eight seasons; he started and finished his career at River Plate. An Argentine international for seven years, Saviola represented his country at the 2006 World Cup and the 2004 Copa América, where his team reached the final. He also won a gold medal at the 2004 Olympics.
  • Ubaldo Fillol
    27
    67 votes
    Ubaldo Matildo Fillol (locally [uˈβaldo maˈtildo fiˈʒol]; born 21 July 1950), nicknamed el Pato (in English: "the Duck"), is an Argentine football coach and former goalkeeper. He took part in the 1974, 1978 (where he won the championship with his team and was voted Best Goalkeeper) and 1982 World Cups representing the Argentine national team. He also played in the South American qualifiers for the 1986 World Cup, but he was finally not chosen for the final team that played (and won) in Mexico. He is usually considered to be one of the greatest goalkeepers and usually regarded as the best Argentine goalkeeper ever.
  • Ángel Labruna
    28
    Dec. at 64 (1918-1983)
    52 votes
    Ángel Amadeo Labruna, (28 September 1918 – 20 September 1983), was an Argentine football player and coach, who played as a forward. With 295 goals scored in official matches, Labruna is the 2nd all-time top scorer of Primera División after Paraguayan Arsenio Erico. Labruna was also part of the celebrated River Plate offense, nicknamed La Máquina (The Machine), and he was considered one of the best South-American footballers of his generation.
  • Lisandro Martínez (born 18 January 1998) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays primarily as a centre-back for English Premier League club Manchester United and the Argentina national team. Martínez began his career at Newell's Old Boys before joining Defensa y Justicia in 2017, initially on loan. In 2019, he signed for Ajax and has since won two Eredivisie titles and one KNVB Cup. He won the Ajax Player of the Year award in the 2021–22 season.
  • Ariel Ortega
    30
    125 votes
    Ariel Arnaldo Ortega (born 4 March 1974) is a retired Argentine footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. His nickname is "El Burrito" ("The Little Donkey"), thus he is called "Burrito Ortega". Ariel Ortega first played for Club Atlético River Plate on 14 December 1991 and until 1996 and returned in 2000–02, 2006–08 and 2009–11. Ortega's other clubs include Fenerbahçe, Parma, Sampdoria, Valencia, and Newell's Old Boys. A former Argentina international, Ortega played for his country in the 1994, 1998, and 2002 World Cups. He was also a member of the team that won the silver medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics.