Argentina are one of the most successful teams in the history of international football. The national team is also known as ‘La Albicelestes’ (which means ‘the sky blue and whites’).
They have appeared in four World Cup finals and they have enjoyed many successful Copa America campaigns.
Argentina reached the top of the FIFA World Rankings for the first time in March 2007. Currently, they are currently ranked 3rd in the FIFA ranking.
Here are ten of the all-time greatest records for the Argentina national football team:
Copa America
The Copa America has been the most successful tournament for Argentina. They are second in the list of all time winners with 14 wins. They are one Copa America behind Uruguay who currently hold the record having won the tournament on 15 occasions.
Biggest win and worst defeat
The biggest win in the history of Argentinean football is a 12-0 victory of Ecuador. The match was played in Montevideo, Uruguay in January 1942.
The biggest defeat the side has ever suffered is 6-1 on two occasions; against Czechoslovakia in June 1958 and against Bolivia in April 2009.
Top scorers
Striker Gabriel Batistuta has scored more goals than any other player in the history of the team. His tally currently sits at 56 which is 20 more than Hernan Crespo in second place.
Diego Maradona is third on the list with 34 goals while Barcelona striker Lionel Messi is fourth with just 26 goals.
Most capped player
Javier Zanetti has the most caps for Argentina by some distance. He has played 145 times for the nation with Roberto Ayala in second place on 115 appearances.
Diego Simeone is the only other player to have reached 100 caps for Argentina with a total of 106 caps before he retired and went into management.
Under-20 World Cup
Argentina’s Under-20 side have won the Under-20 World Cup on six different occasions which is more than any other nation. Their most recent wins came in 2005 and 2007. Sergio Aguero and Mauro Zarate scored the goals in the 2007 final against the Czech Republic.
Youngest World Cup manager
Juan Jose Tramutola became the youngest ever manager to lead a nation into a World Cup when he led Argentina into the 1930 World Cup aged 27-years and 267 days old. It was a great tournament for Argentina who battled their way to the final only to lose 4-2 at the hands of Uruguay.
Rivalry
Argentina are involved in the longest running rivalry in international football with Uruguay. The two nations have met a record 177 times in all competitions. The sides first met in 1901 and since Argentina have secured 81 wins to Uruguay’s 53, with 43 of the matches ending in draws.
Tournament hosts
Argentina have hosted the Copa America more times than any other country. They have been the hosts in nine tournaments; 1916, 1921, 1925, 1929, 1937, 1946, 1959, 1987 and 2011.
Uruguay are second having hosted seven tournaments and Chile and Peru share third with six.
Copa America top scorers
Argentine Norberto Mendez has scored 17 goals in Copa America football which means he holds the joint record with Zizinho for top scorer at the tournament. The only other Argentine to appear in the top ten is Jose Manuel Moreno who is joint fifth with 13 goals.
Most successful manager
Guillermo Stabile won the Copa America as coach of Argentina on six different occasions which is more than anyone else in the history of the tournament. His wins came in 1941, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1955 and 1957. Alfio Basile won the tournament twice as the boss of Argentina in 1991 and 1993.
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