Highlights

• Argentina have produced more icons of the sport than most other nations in the history of football.
• The likes of Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona both have claims of being the greatest players of all time.
• Plenty of other stars also come from that part of South America and the very best Argentinians have been ranked.

When you think of Argentina, you think of football. You think of passion, you think of pride. You think of Boca Juniors and River Plate, but perhaps above all else, you think of the countless stars that this South American nation has produced. Players who have transcended the sport and who have captivated the world, players who have achieved it all.

Argentina is a nation of roughly 45 million, steeped in footballing history. La Albiceleste, a translation of 'the white and sky blue', denoting their iconic striped shirt, have won the FIFA World Cup on three occasions, and were involved in the inaugural final on the 30th of July 1930, falling to a 4-2 defeat to neighbouring country Uruguay.

In their home continent, Argentina have been even more successful, winning the Copa America an impressive 15, most recently in 2021, a record jointly held with old rivals Uruguay.

And of all those successes, there are some iconic players to have pulled on the famous white and sky blue shirt who stick in our memory the most; players who have graced the sport with their style, skill and industry, and who have created a legacy that reaches all corners of the globe. Ten of the very best have been ranked.

Alfredo Di Stefano does not make the list as he played for Argentina just six times before then spending the bulk of his international career with Spain. Although also playing for Italy, Omar Sivori makes the list, as he had more caps for Argentina.

Ranking factors

• International achievements (honours, appearances, goals, assists, etc)
• Club achievements (honours, appearances, goals, assists, etc)
• Individual awards
• Legacy within football

10 Javier Mascherano

Career Span: 2003 - 2020

Now the head coach of the Argentina Under 20s side, Javier Mascherano had the sort of distinguished career that many hope for. A product of the illustrious River Plate academy, as many on this list are, Mascherano established himself as a household name upon joining the Premier League, first with West Ham United for a season before earning a move to Liverpool.

Mascherano quickly became a regular under Rafa Benitez, impressing teammates and supporters alike for his maturity and reading of the game at such a young age, just 23. He was integral to the Reds' run to the 2007 Champions League Final, and although narrowly on the losing side, the Argentinian was voted by Liverpool fans as their Man of the Match in that game (although the objective honour went to Filippo Inzaghi).

A dogged defensive midfielder, Mascherano joined Barcelona after three years on Merseyside and reinvented himself as an all-action central defender. It was for his country that the 39-year-old's qualities shone brightest, and across his impressive 15-year international career, Mascherano amassed 147 caps, serving as captain between 2008 and 2011 and starring in Brazil as he side made the 2014 final.

9 Javier Zanetti

Career Span: 1992 - 2014

Javier Zanetti is unique. Buenos Aires-born, but very much an adopted Milanese, the now 50-year-old dedicated a remarkable 19 years and 858 career appearances to Inter Milan, making him the foreign player with the most Serie A appearances in history, having joined I Nerazzurri back in 1995 from Argentinian club, Tallares.

Captain of Inter from 2001 until his retirement in 2014 at the age of 40, Zanetti holds the record for the most Champions League matches played as captain, and is now serving as Inter's vice-president. The Argentinian was renowned for his longevity, leadership and versatility, being equally experienced at playing midfield as he was at fullback on either flank.

His international career wasn't bad either, amassing 144 caps for Argentina between 1994 and 2011, the third most in the country's history. Silverware sadly escaped him on the international stage, although Zanetti will always be credited with playing a hugely significant role in Inter's historic treble-winning season in 2009/10.

8 Omar Sivori

Career Span: 1954 - 1969

A name likely not so familiar to many modern-day fans, Omar Sivori typified everything it is that makes Argentinian footballers so alluring and enigmatic. Sivori, who stood at just 5'4", was known for his pace, trickery and technique. A product of the River Plate academy, Sivori, aged just 21 at the time, exploded onto the global stage at the 1957 South American Championships as part of a devastating attacking trio nicknamed the Trio of Death which also comprised Humberto Maschio and Valentin Angellilo. As a result of their performances at the tournament, all three earned moves to Italy, with Sivori transferring to Juventus for £91,000, which was at the time a world-record fee.

Sivori guided Juventus to the Scudetto that season, playing 32 of a possible 34 league matches and scoring 22 times. The Argentine won the Serie A Golden Boot in 1960, and in 1961 the coveted Ballon d'Or trophy, being granted entry for the award due to switching his allegiance to Italy. He remained in Turin until 1965 when he then transferred to Napoli for four seasons, but injuries prevented him from reaching similar heights.

7 Angel Di Maria

Career Span: 2005 - Present

Perhaps one of the most underrated players of his generation, Angel Di Maria has shown remarkable longevity in a career spanning 19 years and with little sign of stopping any time soon. Debuting as a fresh-faced 17-year-old for his boyhood club Rosario Central in 2005, whose academy he joined aged just four years old, Di Maria made his first strides in Europe with Portuguese giants, Benfica in 2007.

In the summer of 2009, Di Maria made the move to Real Madrid, where he continued to flourish, staying in the capital for five years. In what turned out to be his final season in Spain, Fideo, a translation of 'noodle' in reference to his slender frame, was named Man of the Match in the Champions League Final as Real triumphed over city rivals Atletico Madrid, resulting in a place in UEFA's Team of the Season as well as being crowned Argentine Footballer of the Year.

After a brief and troubled spell, as he flopped at Manchester United in a move that was, at the time, a British transfer record, Di Maria joined Paris Saint-Germain, where he won five out of a possible seven league titles, before spending last season with Juventus. Over the course of his career, Di Maria, now back at Benfica, has gained a reputation for performing in the biggest moments, making him one of the greatest wingers in European football history. This is also certainly true in his contribution to his country. The 36-year-old scored the only goal in a tightly contested 2021 Copa America Final, Argentina's first since 1993, and in the World Cup final the following year, he won the penalty for the first goal, and scored the second as La Albiceleste went on to beat France on penalties in a gripping final. His name will forever be etched into history.

6 Daniel Passarella

Career Span: 1971 - 1989

Few players have had an impact on their nation as seismic as Daniel Passarella. Regarded as one of the finest centre-backs of his generation, if not in history, Passarella led Argentina to their first-ever World Cup as captain in 1978, before being part of the squad that won the tournament again in 1986, by which point he was 33.

Nicknamed El Gran Capitan (The Grand Captain) for his immense leadership skills, the now 70-year-old spent nine seasons of his career with River Plate, before taking his first steps into Europe with Fiorentina and then Inter Milan. Despite his height of 5'8", unusually short for a centre back, Passarella was famed for his incredible aerial ability in offensive situations, and his devliery of freekicks and penalties.

GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: At the time of his retirement in 1989, Passarella had scored a remarkable 175 career goals, a record for a defender, which was later broken by Dutch centre-back Ronald Koeman.

5 Juan Roman Riquelme

Career Span: 2003 - 2020

Regarded by many as one of the most naturally gifted players that the country has ever produced, Juan Roman Riquelme was an archetypal Argentinian 'enganche', an attacking midfielder blessed with an abundance of creativity, vision, and flair.

Never perhaps fully appreciated by the European audience, Riquelme spent the vast majority of his career at Boca Juniors, making 290 appearances across two spells at either end of his 19-year-long career, scoring 76 goals and assisting 96 in that time.

In Europe he is fondly remembered for his time at Spanish side Villarreal, helping the club reach a third place finish in La Liga and the semi-finals of the Champions League for the first time in their history. Riquelme was named Argentine Player of the Year an impressive four times, South American Footballer of the Year in 2001, and he finished 14th in the Ballon d'Or in both 2005 and 2007. A year later he captained Argentina's side full of bright young stars to Olympic Gold in Beijing, beating Nigeria in the final.

4 Gabriel Batistuta

Career Span: 1988 - 2004

Until 2016, Gabriel Batistuta was Argentina's all-time leading goalscorer. That's what he was best at, finding the back of the net, and he did it in some style from club and country. Born in Santa Fe, and a product of the Newells Old Boys academy, 'Gabigol' is best known for his iconic time spent in Italy, predominantly with Fiorentina. Over nine years, the 55-year-old became La Viola's all-time record goalscorer and worshipped within the city.

When Fiorentina were relegated in 1993, Batistuta remained loyal to the club, staying with them and guiding them immediately back to Serie A the following season. As a result, in 2014 he was inducted into the Fiorentina Hall of Fame as well as the Serie A Hall of Fame. The Argentine went on to join AS Roma for a then-world record fee for a player over 30, and win the Scudetto in first season in the capital.

With his country, Batistuta won the Copa America twice, in 1991 and 1993, on two occasions, also finished as the tournament's Golden Boot winner. In 1998, Gabigol was named Argentine Player of the Year, the same year in which he came sixth in the Ballon d'Or, bettered only by his fourth-place finish the following year.

3 Mario Kempes

Career Span: 1970 - 1996

In at three, is the star of Argentina's 1978 World Cup triumph, Mario Kempes. Nicknamed El Matador, Kempes is only one of three players in history to have won the World Cup, the Golden Boot for the top scorer, and the Golden Ball, for the best player, in the same year. That same year, Kempes was named South American Footballer of the Year, and was awarded Onze d'Or, given to the best player playing in Europe.

At club level, Kempes is best known for his time at historic Spanish side Valencia between 1976-1981 and then again from 1982-1984. During his time at Los Ches, the 6'0" Argentinian forward won the Pichichi Trophy in both 1977 and 1978, for finishing as the top goalscorer in La Liga. In total, Kempes scored 116 league goals in 184 league appearances for Valencia, but will forever best be remembered for his accomplishments in the blue and white of Argentina.

2 Diego Maradona

Career Span: 1976 - 1997

Where to even begin with Diego Maradona? Jointly named as FIFA's Player of the 20th Century and undoubtedly one of the all-time greats, Maradona captured the hearts and minds of a nation like nobody else before, and nobody since. He was as divisive and watchable off the pitch as he was on it. Adored and worshipped wherever he went. Truly one of a kind.

Dubbed El Pibe de Oro (The Golden Boy), he carried the weight of a nation’s expectations with him from a young age. And he didn’t disappoint, scoring 116 league goals in 166 league matches for his boyhood side, Argentinos Juniors, over the first six years of his professional career.

The following four years were spent equally between Boca Juniors and Barcelona before Maradona’s famed move to Napoli, a love affair that lasted seven years and ended in heartbreak when he was banned for illegal off-pitch activities.

Maradona’s most iconic moments came for his beloved Argentina, most notably in the 1986 World Cup, when, almost single-handedly, he captained his nation to victory, winning the Golden Ball trophy for the best player. On route to lifting the trophy, in the semi-final versus England, Maradona produced two of the most iconic moments in football history. First, the game’s opener, in his own words described as: “A little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God." The second, an otherworldly mazy run over 60 metres, slaloming beyond five England players, rounding a bewildered Peter Shilton before slotting into an empty net. For many, the Goal of the Century.

1 Lionel Messi

Career Span: 2004 - Present

They thought there could never be another Maradona, until Lionel Messi. Admittedly not as extravagant as Maradona, nor as evocative, but every bit as talented (if not more so), and with a list of honours that may never be matched. Messi took a different route to the top, leaving his hometown of Rosario at age 13 to join Barcelona. At the Catalan club he accomplished it all. 10 La Liga titles, seven Copa de Espana trophies, seven Copa del Rey trophies, and four Champions League trophies.

In his 17 senior years at Barcelona, Messi became the club's all-time top appearance maker, the club and league's all-time topscorer and top assister. In fact, with a staggering 357, Messi has recorded the most competitive assists of all time. The 36-year-old has won 45 professional trophies, more than anyone in history, and has a record six European Golden Shoes and a record eight Ballon d'Or.

For most of his international career the now Inter Miami man remained in the shadow of Maradona and was not held in the same warm regard by the Argentinian people, partly due to leaving his homeland at a young age and for not having the same reached the same achievements on the international stage, despite all of his club accomplishments. That all changed in 2022 when Messi, as captain, and showing more commitment to his national team than ever before, led Argentina to their third World Cup, endearing himself to the Argentinian people, and surely cementing his position as the greatest to have played the sport.

Maradona once summed up just how good Messi is, explaining how "football history will remember Messi" – and with that seal of approval, what more could you want? The Argentinian icon said of the other:

“I can't remember having seen Lionel Messi play badly."

All stats via Transfermarkt (as of 14/04/24).