Argentina national football team

	Olympic medal record
Men's football

Argentina
Nickname(s)	Albicelestes (White and Sky blue)
Association	Asociación del Fútbol Argentino; (Argentine Football Association)
Confederation	CONMEBOL (South America)
Head coach	Alfio Basile
Captain	Javier Zanetti
Most caps	Javier Zanetti (123)
Top scorer	Gabriel Batistuta (56)
Home stadium	El Monumental
FIFA code	ARG
FIFA ranking	7
Highest FIFA ranking	1 (March 2007, October 2007-June 2008)
Lowest FIFA ranking	24 (August 1996)
Elo ranking	2
Highest Elo ranking	1 (most recently in July 2007, 34 times in total)
Lowest Elo ranking	28 (June 1990)
	Home colours
	Away colours
First international
	Uruguay 2 - 3 Argentina ; (Montevideo, Uruguay; 16 May 1901)
Biggest win
	Argentina 12 - 0 Ecuador ; (Montevideo, Uruguay; 22 January 1942)
Biggest 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	38 (First in 1916)
Best result	Winners, 1921, 1925, 1927, 1929,; 1937, 1941, 1945, 1946, 1947,; 1955, 1957, 1959, 1991, 1993
Confederations Cup
Appearances	3 (First in 1992)
Best result	Winners, 1992

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The Argentina national football team is the national football team of Argentina and is controlled by the Asociación del Fútbol Argentino (AFA). Argentina has the world record for most international titles won by any national team.^[1]

Argentina is one of the most successful national football teams in the world, and is currently seventh in the FIFA world rankings.^[2] The team has twice won the FIFA World Cup, in 1978 and 1986. Argentina has won the Copa América 14 times, a record shared with Uruguay, won the Confederations Cup in 1992 and the Olympic Football Tournament in 2004 and 2008.

Argentina and France are the only national teams which have won the three most important men´s titles organized by FIFA: the World Cup, the Confederations Cup, and the Olympic tournament. They have both also won their respective continental championship (Copa América for Argentina, and UEFA European Football Championship for France).^[3]^[4]

[edit] History

La Selección, also known as the Albicelestes (Light blue and whites), has appeared in four World Cup finals, including the first final in 1930, which they lost 4-2 to Uruguay. Argentina won in their next final in 1978, beating the Netherlands 3-1. Argentina, led by Diego Maradona won again in 1986, a 3-2 victory over West Germany. Their most recent World Cup final was in 1990, which they lost 1-0 to Germany by a much disputed penalty. Argentina's World Cup winning managers are César Luis Menotti in 1978, and Carlos Bilardo in 1986.

Argentina has been very successful in the Copa América, winning it fourteen times and also winning the 'extra' South American Championships in 1941, 1945 and 1946. The team also won the FIFA Confederations Cup and the Kirin Cup, both in 1992, and an Argentine team (with only three players of over 23 years of age included in the squad) won the Olympics football tournaments in Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008.^[5]

Argentina also won six of the fourteen football competitions at the Pan American Games, winning in 1951, 1955, 1959, 1971, 1995 and 2003.

In March 2007, Argentina reached the top of the FIFA World Rankings for the first time.^[6]

[edit] World Cup 2006

Argentina had been eliminated at the group stage at Korea/Japan 2002 FIFA World Cup, although they had been among the pre-tournament favourites. There was a high expectation of a better performance in the Germany 2006.

Argentina qualified for the knockout stages with wins over Ivory Coast (2-1) and Serbia and Montenegro (6-0), and a 0-0 draw with the Netherlands.

In the round of sixteen, Argentina defeated Mexico 2-1 in extra-time, the winning goal by Maxi Rodríguez winning an online poll organised by FIFA, as the best goal of the World Cup [1]. In the quarter final, they lost 4-2 in a penalty shootout against hosts Germany after a 1-1 draw. A brawl erupted between the Argentines and Germans after the game ended. Unused substitute Leandro Cufré was sent off for kicking Per Mertesacker, while Maxi Rodríguez hit Bastian Schweinsteiger from behind. Following an investigation of video evidence, FIFA doled out 4-game and 2-game suspensions for Cufre and Rodriguez, respectively. Germany's Torsten Frings was suspended for the semifinal match for punching Julio Ricardo Cruz.

Shortly after the elimination, coach José Pekerman resigned from his position. AFA appointed Alfio Basile, who had previously managed the national side during the 1994 FIFA World Cup.

[edit] Copa América 2007

Argentina won all three games in the group stage, beating United States, Colombia and Paraguay. After convincing victories over Peru and Mexico in the quarter final and semi final respectively, they were favourites to beat Brazil in the final, but were defeated 0-3.

[edit] Competitive record

FIFA World Cup Record
Year	Round	Position	GP	W	D*	L	GS	GA
1930	Second Place	2	5	4	0	1	18	9
1934	Round 1	9	1	0	0	1	2	3
1938	Withdrew	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
1950	Withdrew	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
1954	Withdrew	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
1958	Round 1	13	3	1	0	2	5	10
1962	Round 1	10	3	1	1	1	2	3
1966	Quarter-finals	5	3	2	1	1	4	2
1970	Did Not Qualify	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
1974	Round 2	8	6	1	2	3	9	12
1978	Champions	1	7	5	1	1	15	4
1982	Round 2	12	5	2	0	3	8	7
1986	Champions	1	7	6	1	0	14	5
1990	Second Place	2	7	2	3	2	5	4
1994	Round 2	9	4	2	0	2	8	6
1998	Quarter-finals	6	5	3	1	1	10	4
2002	Round 1	18	3	1	1	1	2	2
2006	Quarter-finals	6	5	3	2	0	11	3
Total	14/18	2 Titles	65	33	13	19	113	74

FIFA Confederations Cup
Year	Round	GP	W	D*	L	GS	GA
1992	Champions	2	2	0	0	7	1
1995	Second Place	3	1	1	1	5	3
1997	Did Not Qualify	-	-	-	-	-	-
1999	Did Not Qualify	-	-	-	-	-	-
2001	Did Not Qualify	-	-	-	-	-	-
2003	Did Not Qualify	-	-	-	-	-	-
2005	Second Place	5	2	2	1	10	10
2009	Did Not Qualify	-	-	-	-	-	-
Total	1 Title	10	5	3	2	22	14

*Denotes draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.

**Gold background color indicates that the tournament was won. Red border color indicates tournament was held on home soil.

Copa América
Total: 14 Titles
Year	Position	Year	Position	Year	Position
1916	Second place	1939	Withdrew	1967	Second place
1917	Second place	1941	Champions	1975	Round 1
1919	Third place	1942	Second place	1979	Round 1
1920	Second place	1945	Champions	1983	Round 1
1921	Champions	1946	Champions	1987	Fourth place
1922	Fourth place	1947	Champions	1989	Third place
1923	Second place	1949	Withdrew	1991	Champions
1924	Second place	1953	Withdrew	1993	Champions
1925	Champions	1955	Champions	1995	Quarter-finals
1926	Second place	1956	Third place	1997	Quarter-finals
1927	Champions	1957	Champions	1999	Quarter-finals
1929	Champions	1959	Champions	2001	Withdrew
1935	Second place	1959	Second place	2004	Second place
1937	Champions	1963	Third place	2007	Second place

[edit] Pan American Games record

1951 - Champions
1955 - Champions
1959 - Champions
1963 - Second place
1967 - Round 1
1971 - Champions
1975 - Third place
1979 - Third place
1983 - Round 1
1987 - Third place
1991 - Did not enter
1995 - Champions
1999 - Did not enter
2003 - Champions
2007 - Round 1

[edit] Olympics record

Olympics Record
Year	Round	Position	GP	W	D	L	GS	GA
1896	No football tournament	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
1900	Did Not Qualify	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
1904	Did Not Qualify	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
1908	Did Not Qualify	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
1912	Did Not Qualify	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
1920	Did Not Qualify	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
1924	Did Not Qualify	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
1928	Runners-up	2	5	3	1	1	24	7
1932	No football tournament	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
1936	Did Not Qualify	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
1948	Did Not Qualify	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
1952	Did Not Qualify	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
1956	Did Not Qualify	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
1960	Round 1	-	3	2	0	1	6	4
1964	Round 1	-	2	0	1	1	3	4
1968	Did Not Qualify	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
1972	Did Not Qualify	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
1976	Did Not Qualify	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
1980	Did Not Qualify	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
1984	Did Not Qualify	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
1988	Quarter-finals	-	4	1	1	2	4	5
1992	Did Not Qualify	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
1996	Runners-up	2	6	3	2	1	13	6
2000	Did Not Qualify	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
2004	Champions	1	6	6	0	0	17	0
2008	Champions	1	6	6	0	0	11	2
Total	7/24	2 Titles	32	21	5	6	78	28

[edit] Honours

[edit] Senior team

FIFA World Cup

Winner (2): 1978, 1986
Runner-up (2): 1930, 1990

FIFA Confederations Cup

Winner (1): 1992
Runner-up (2): 1995, 2005

Artemio Franchi Trophy

Winner (1): 1993

Copa America

Winner (14): 1921, 1925, 1927, 1929, 1937, 1941, 1945, Extra 1946, 1947, 1955, 1957, 1959, 1991, 1993
Runner-up (12): 1916, 1917, 1920, 1923, 1924, 1926, 1935, 1942, Extra 1959, 1967, 2004, 2007

[edit] Olympic team

See also: Argentina Olympic Team

A selection with limited team selection (only 3 players over 23 years could be included in the squad), won the following honours. The matches in these tournaments are generally not included in the statistics of the national team.

Gold medal (2): 2004, 2008
Silver medal (2): 1928, 1996

[edit] Kit Evolution

1901-1910

1911-present

World Cup 1978	World Cup 1994	World Cup 1998	Pre World Cup 2002
World Cup 2002	Olympics 2004	World Cup 2006

[edit] Managers

1924-1925 Angel Vázquez
1927-1928 José Lago Millán
1928-1929 Francisco Olazar
1929-1930 Olazar-Tramutola
1934-1934 Felipe Pascucci
1934-1937 Manuel Seoane
1937-1939 Ángel Fernández Roca
1939-1960 Guillermo Stábile
1960-1961 Victorio Spinetto

1972-1974 Enrique Omar Sívori
1974-1974 Vladislao Cap
1974-1983 César Luis Menotti
1983-1990 Carlos Bilardo
1990-1994 Alfio Basile
1994-1998 Daniel Passarella
1998-2004 Marcelo Bielsa
2004-2006 José Pekerman
2006-present Alfio Basile

[edit] Current team status

Argentina is currently participating in the 2010 World Cup qualifiers.

Main article: 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONMEBOL)

[edit] 2010 FIFA World Cup
Qualification Standings

Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Paraguay	7	4	2	1	14	6	+8	14
Argentina	7	3	3	1	10	4	+6	12
Uruguay	7	3	2	2	16	6	+10	11
Colombia	7	2	4	1	4	3	+1	10
Chile	6	3	1	2	9	9	0	10
Brazil	6	2	3	1	8	4	+4	9
Ecuador	7	2	2	3	10	14	−4	8
Venezuela	7	2	1	4	9	11	−2	7
Peru	7	1	3	3	4	15	−11	6
Bolivia	7	1	1	5	8	20	−12	4

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Diego Maradona