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Argentina

Argentina

Nickname	Albicelestes (White and Sky blue)
Association	Argentine Football Association
Coach	José Pekerman (2004-)
Most caps	Diego Simeone (106)
Top scorer	Gabriel Batistuta (56)
First international Uruguay 2 - 3 Argentina (Montevideo, Uruguay; 16 May 1901)
Largest win Argentina 12 - 0 Ecuador (Montevideo, Uruguay; 22 January 1942)
Worst defeat Czechoslovakia 6 - 1 Argentina (Helsingborg, Sweden; 15 June 1958) Uruguay 5 - 0 Argentina (Guayaquil, Ecuador; 16 December 1959) Argentina 0 - 5 Colombia (Buenos Aires, Argentina; 5 September 1993)
World Cup
Appearances	14 (First in 1930)
Best result	Winners, 1978 and 1986
Copa América
Appearances	37 (First in 1916)
Best result	Winners, 1921, 1925, 1927, 1929, 1937, 1941, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1955, 1957, 1959, 1991, 1993

The Argentina national football team is the national team of Argentina and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association.

Argentina is one of the most successful national football teams, having won two World Cups and one Olympic Title. Argentina and Uruguay hold the record for the most international matches played against two countries, there have been 161 matches played against each other since 1901. The first match against Uruguay was the first official international match to be played outside Britain. (Although Canada and the United States played two internationals in 1885 and 1886, neither match is considered official; Canada did not play an official international until 1904 and the USA did not play one until 1916.)

Argentina has appeared in four World Cup finals, including the first final in 1930, which they lost 4-2 to Uruguay. They won the final at their next attempt in 1978, beating the Netherlands 3-1 and also won in 1986 (led by Diego Maradona), a 3-2 victory over West Germany. Their last final was in 1990, which they lost 1-0 to West Germany.

Argentina have been very successful in Copa América, winning it eleven times and also winning the 'extra' South American Championships in 1941, 1945 and 1946.

Besides the 2004 Gold Medal at the Olympic Games, Argentina won the Silver Medal in 1928 and 1996.

It also won the Confederations Cup and the Kirin Cup, both in 1992.

Since the competition's creation in 1977, Argentina have won five titles in the World Youth Championship :

• Japan, 1979 with Diego Maradona and Ramón Díaz
• Qatar, 1995 with Juan Pablo Sorín
• Malaysia, 1997 with Juan Román Riquelme, Esteban Cambiasso, and Pablo Aimar
• Argentina, 2001 with Javier Saviola, and Andrés D'Alessandro
• Netherlands, 2005 with Lionel Messi, and Sergio Agüero

Three of these titles were won by the current national coach Jose Pekerman (1995,1997 and 2001).

A pre-tournament favourite again at Korea/Japan 2002 World Cup, they were eliminated earlier than expected to the surprise of many, losing in a memorable game against England in the most hotly anticipated match of the entire opening stage.

On June 8, 2005, they qualified for their 14th World Cup Finals appearance by beating arch rivals Brazil 3-1 in Buenos Aires.

World Cup record

• 1930 - Runners-up (lost to Uruguay)
• 1934 - Round 1 (lost to Sweden)
• 1938 - Withdrew
• 1950 - Withdrew
• 1954 - Did not enter qualification
• 1958 - Round 1
• 1962 - Round 1
• 1966 - Quarterfinals (lost to England)
• 1970 - Did not qualify
• 1974 - Round 2
• 1978 - Champions
• 1982 - Round 2
• 1986 - Champions
• 1990 - Runners-up (lost to West Germany)
• 1994 - Round of Sixteen (lost to Romania)
• 1998 - Quarterfinals lost to Holland
• 2002 - Round 1
• 2006 - Qualified

Copa América record

Famous players

Current squad

Goalkeepers:

Roberto Abbondanzieri
Germán Darío Lux
Oscar Ustari

Defenders:

Roberto Ayala
Gabriel Heinze
Walter Samuel
Juan Pablo Sorin
Nicolas Burdisso
Gabriel Milito
Leonardo Ponzio
Fabricio Coloccini

Midfielders:

Juan Román Riquelme
Esteban Cambiasso
Pablo Aimar
Javier Mascherano
Maxi Rodríguez
Javier Zanetti
Luis González

Forwards:

Carlos Tevez
Hernán Crespo
Lionel Messi
Javier Saviola
Sergio Agüero
Julio Cruz
Diego Milito

External links

• Official website, at the Argentine Football Association's website
• RSSSF archive of results 1901-2002
• RSSSF archive of results 1999-
• RSSSF archive of most capped players and highest goalscorers
• RSSSF archive of coaches 1901-90
• Argentina World Cup 1978 Coca-Cola can

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This guide is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.