Argentina has a history of prestige, and over the years many players have played a part in their success. Many of their past and current champions will still be cherished in sports by everyone who competed with and against them. Not to mention devoted fans who watch every game wearing their team’s football uniforms have already stepped on to emulate the achievements of famous Argentina soccer players and exceed their impressive accomplishments.
So who are the players that made themselves shine brightest? Many prominent Argentina players have left their mark on the game and some have considered being the best of their generation. Let’s now see who the top 10 Argentinian footballers of all time are.
The Best Football Players from Argentina
1. Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi is widely regarded as the world’s greatest football player. His fast dribbling ability and enigmatic ball tricks put him in his own class. At the age of 33, he’s a goal scorer, playmaker, and an electrifying talent.
For a definite reason, Lionel Messi has renamed the Goal Machine, and he lives up to the name. With 423 goals, Messi is holding the record for the most goals in La Liga. Messi also set the record for the most goals in a season, having to score 50 goals in one season.
He is the Argentine national football team’s all-time top goalscorer, having scored more than 68 goals. Messi scored 676 goals in total, in 831 appearances for both his country and the club.
2. Diego Maradona
Most people around the globe consider Maradona as the best football player of all time. Has there ever been a more intriguing set of expertise than Maradona? We don’t believe that. Despite losing out on the 1978 World Cup, Maradona proceeded to play in four other tournaments, beginning in 21 consecutive matches between 1982 and 1994 for Argentina.
He added eight goals and eight assists, five each coming in 1986 when Maradona genuinely marked on the tournament with his signature.
3. Alfredo Di Stefano
He was born in Buenos Aires (Argentina) on 4 July 1926 and is regarded as the best soccer players of all history. The only player in memory to have won the Mega Ballon d’Or is Di Stéfano. He played for Real Madrid for 11 seasons and was a crucial influence in the global dominance of the club.
He won 5 consecutive European and one Intercontinental Cup, two Latin Cups, eight Championships, one Copa de España, one Pequeña Copa del Mundo, and five best goal-scorer awards in the league with Real Madrid. He also won two Ballon d’Ors and in 1989 France Football recognized his career with a player receiving the only Super Ballon d’Or.
4. Mario Kempes
Globally, Kempes is remembered as the cause for Argentina’s 1978 World Cup win where he scored the winning goal at the very end of the tournament, securing him that year’s Golden Boot award as top scorer. Mario Kempes is primarily known at club level for playing for Valencia CF, finishing two times as the top scorer for the League and as the ambassador for the club.
5. Daniel Passarella
He became one of the most prominent defenders in the history of the World Cup. Passarella was the right leader for any unit, and at an early age, he became captain for both club and country. He was outstanding in the field for being just 174 cm and achieved a remarkable number of goals by headers from free-kicks or corners.
Passarella was an outstanding star. His record of goals is absolutely special to a goalkeeper. He has scored 99 goals in 298 matches in the Argentine league. He earned Argentina 70 caps and netted 22 goals.
7. Claudio Caniggia
This is the one point in time that captures entirely what Claudio Caniggia tends to mean for Argentine football. He may have been playing for both River Plate and Boca Juniors but he never belonged to either club. Caniggia is, rather, a national idol. Claudio got to play at three World Cups in 1990, 1994 and 2002, forming 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.
He was one of the consumers of cocaine and his statement about that drug became worldwide quoted: “If cocaine is a drug then I’m a drug addict”.
7. Gabriel Batistuta
Also known as Batigol, Gabriel Batistuta was a powerful goalscorer, considered one of his generation’s most perfect and successful strikers. Very strong off-ball speed, air and ground power, very reliable and a professional scorer. He is a legendary Fiorentina and his international trophies are Confederations Cup 92 and Copa America 91,93.
8. Hernán Crespo
Hernán Jorge Crespo was born on July 5, 1975 and is an Argentine professional football coach and a former player. He is managing Defensa y Justicia boss. A prolific scorer, Crespo had netted more than 300 goals in a 19-year career.
He has scored 35 goals at the international level, and is the fourth-highest goalscorer in Argentina. At club level, when Lazio bought him from Parma in 2000, Crespo became the most expensive and valuable player in the world. He was a top scorer in the 2000–2001 Series A with 26 goals, performing for Lazio.
9. Javier Zanetti
Zanetti also has a special record in Argentina’s national team despite his achievements through full trials with the national team. The amount of 143 caps with a score of 5 goals is showing his commitment to his country. The incision has put itself second in the list of players that most frequently tend to support Javier Mascherano’s National team. Javier Zanetti is also one of the best Inter Milan players ever.
10. Sergio Aguero
He is the all-time highest goal scorer for Manchester City, four times a Premier League winner, and has also recorded one of the division’s most unforgettable goals in history.
Sports journalist, content writer and passionate football lover.