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| José Chamot and Roberto Ayala |
Please also see my All-Time World Cup Team Index.
Argentina All-Time Team
Argentine-born players capped by other national teams
Argentina World Cup 1946
Angels with Dirty Faces with Di Stefano in the WC 1958
Argentina All-Time Team before 1978,
Argentina All-Time Team After Maradona.
Provincia de Córdoba
Provincia de Santa Fe
The City of Buenos Aires, Provincia de Buenos Aires
Argentina is home to 23 different provinces, as well as Buenos Aires, which is an autonomous city. I created all-time teams for the Provincia de Córdoba, Provincia de Santa Fe, the City of Buenos Aires, and the Provincia de Buenos Aires in Argentina. This is the all-time team for the rest of Argentina.
Mendoza, Tucumán, Salta, Entre Ríos, Chaco, Misiones, Corrientes, etc are some of the larger provinces after the places I just mentioned. No club outside of Provincia de Buenos Aires, the City of Buenos Aires and Santa Fe have won the league. Basically, no major club team exists in the regions in question. However, The provinces of Argentina are often grouped into geographical regions: Northwest (Jujuy, Salta, Tucumán, Catamarca), Gran Chaco (Formosa, Chaco, Santiago del Estero), Mesopotamia (Misiones, Entre Ríos, Corrientes), Cuyo (San Juan, La Rioja, Mendoza, San Luis), Pampas (Córdoba, Santa Fe, La Pampa, Buenos Aires), Patagonia (Rio Negro, Neuquén, Chubut, Santa Cruz, Tierra del Fuego).
Team
GK: Sergio Romero (Bernardo de Irigoyen, Misiones)
Sergio Romero started his career with Racing Club before moving to Europe where he played for AZ, Sampdoria and Monaco. In 2015, he joined Manchester United. At the time of writing, he is a backup keeper with them. Since 2019, he earned over 90 caps for the national team. He was Argentina's starting keeper at both World Cup Finals in 2010 and 2014.
GK: Julio Musimessi (Resistencia, Chaco)
Musimessi started his playing career in 1944 with Newell's Old Boys of Rosario, he played 183 times for the club before his transfer to Boca Juniors in 1953. In 1954 Boca won the league championship. Then, he played for Green Cross of Chile. He played 14 times for Argentina. He was part of the squad that won the 1955 Copa América. He was also included in the 1956 Copa América and the 1958 World Cup squads.
GK: Diego Pozo (Mendoza, Mendoza)
Pozo began his playing career with Godoy Cruz in his hometown of Mendoza in 1995. He also played for Huracán, Talleres and Instituto before joining Colón in 2008. In 2009, Pozo made his debut with Argentina in a 3–1 friendly match victory against Panama. The Argentine team was made up of players based in the Argentine Primera División. He went to the 2010 World Cup Finals.
RB: Hugo Ibarra (El Colorado, Formosa)
Hugo Ibarra is an icon at Boca Juniors where he has played over 200 games in three separate stints at the club and won 15 titles. He won four Copa Libertadores: 2000, 2001, 2003, 2007. In between, he played in Porto, Monaco and Espanyol in Europe. For Argentina, he earned 11 caps. He participated in two Copa Americas.
RB/CB: Francisco Lombardo (Mendoza, Mendoza)
Lombardo started his career with Newell's Old Boys. In 1952, he joined Boca Juniors where he played 196 games. In 1960 Lombardo left Boca on a free transfer to join their hated rivals River Plate, but he only made 9 appearances for the club before retiring later that year. Lombardo made 37 appearances for Argentina. He played in 4 Copa Américas; 1955, 1956, and 2 in 1959. He also played in the 1958 World Cup.
CB: Luis Galván (Fernández, Santiago del Estero) photo
Luis Galván started his career in 1970 at Talleres de Córdoba, the club where he spent the majority of his career. Galván left the Talleres in 1982, and went on to play for a string of provincial teams. He also played for Bolívar in La Paz. He played 34 times for Argentina between 1975 and 1982. He was a member of the 1978 World Cup winning team as well as the 1982 team.
CB: Roberto Ayala (Paraná, Entre Ríos)
Roberto Ayala captained Argentina for 63 times, a record. He is also the second cap record holder for Argentina. He played in three FIFA World Cups and made a total of 115 international appearances. He was best remembered for winning the UEFA Cup with Valencia. He also played with River Plate, Napoli, Racing Zaragoza, Milan, etc.
CB: Francisco Sá (Las Lomitas, Formosa)
Francisco Sá holds the record for the most Copa Libertadores titles, he won six; 4 consecutive titles with Club Atlético Independiente between 1972 and 1975, and a further two titles with Boca Juniors in 1977 and 1978. He also won two Intercontinental Cup for both clubs. After leaving Boca in 1981 Sá played for Gimnasia de Jujuy for one season before his retirement in 1982. He was capped 12 times for Argentina between 1973 and 1974. He attended the 1974 World Cup Finals.
CB: Rafael Albrecht (San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucuman)
He started his career with Club Atlético Tucumán in 1957. In 1960, he was signed by Estudiantes, where he was called to play for the Argentina national team in 1961. In 1962 he was transferred to San Lorenzo for 10 million pesos, a huge amount for those days. The 'Matadores' team won the 1968 Metropolitano Championship without losing a single game. In 1970, he moved to play for Leon in Mexico. For Argentina, he went to both 1962 and 1960 WC Finals.
LB: José Chamot (Concepción del Uruguay, Entre Ríos)
Chamot began his career with Rosario Central, and then moved to Italy, where he played for Pisa (1991–93), Foggia (1993–94) and Lazio (1994–98). His spell at Lazio cemented him as one of the top full backs in the Serie A. He had a spell with Atlético Madrid, before joining A.C. Milan, winning the 2002–03 UEFA Champions League. Earned 43 caps for Argentina, and played in three FIFA World Cups (1994, 1998 and 2002).
LB: Gabriel Heinze (Crespo, Entre Ríos)
Nicknamed Gringo, Gabriel Heinze made a name for himself at Paris Saint-Germain, moving in 2004 to Manchester United and subsequently to Real Madrid in Spain, winning four trophies with the latter two clubs. He started and finished his 18-year professional career with Newell's Old Boys. Heinze played 72 times with Argentina, representing the nation at two World Cups and as many Copa América tournaments.
DM/CM: Enzo Pérez (Maipú, Mendoza)
Enzo Pérez played four years for Benfica in Portugal, where he won five trophies, most notably the domestic treble in the 2013–14 season, and reached two consecutive Europa League finals. He also played for Estudiantes de La Plata, Valencia, Godoy Cruz and River Plate. He was capped 26 times. He started at the World Cup Final in 2014 after Angel Di Maria was injured.
CM: José Daniel Ponce (Godoy Cruz, Mendoza)
José Daniel Ponce was a part of Estudiantes coached by Carlos Bilardo that won two back-to-back titles. His trademark were his precision free kicks, and his skill with the ball, both dribbling and passing. In 1983 Ponce was selected to join the Argentina squad for the Copa América 1983. He later took part in the process that led to Argentina's victory in the 1986 World Cup.
CM: Alberto Márcico (Corrientes, Corrientes)
Márcico made his career in 1980 with Ferro Carril Oeste. In 1982, his team won the Nacional championship without losing a single game. In 1984, he helped Ferro to win their second Nacional and was awarded the 1984 Player of the Year title. Then, he played for Toulouse FC for six years before joining for Boca Juniors and Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata. from 1983 to 1992, he earned 15 caps.
AM: Ariel Ortega (Libertador General San Martín, Jujuy)
With River Plate, Ariel Ortega won the Primera División in 1991, 1993, 1994 and 1996, as well as the Copa Libertadores in 1996. He also played for Fenerbahçe, Parma, Sampdoria, Valencia, and Newell's Old Boys. Ortega played 87 times for his country. He played in the 1994, 1998, and 2002 World Cups. He was also a member of the team that won the silver medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics. In 2010, he was recalled back to the national team for a match.
AM/CM: Gabriel Calderón (Rawson, Chubut)
Calderón played in several teams including Argentine Racing Club de Avellaneda and Club Atlético Independiente, Spanish Real Betis and French Paris Saint-Germain. He was part of the Argentina Under-20 team that won the 1979 FIFA World Youth Championship playing alongside Diego Maradona, and also played in the 1982 FIFA World Cup in Spain and in the 1990 World Cup in Italy.
SS/AM: Jorge Burruchaga (Gualeguay, Entre Ríos)
Burruchaga was capped 57 times. He scored the winning goal in the final of the 1986 World Cup. He was a part of Independiente that won the Metropolitano 1983, the Copa Libertadores and the Intercontinental Cup in 1984. He also played seven years for Nantes. With Valenciennes, he was involved in a bribing scandal involving a league match against Olympique de Marseille on 20 May 1993. He was subsequently given a suspended six months sentence.
RW: Rene Houseman (La Banda, Santiago del Estero)
Rene Houseman started with Defensores de Belgrano, where he won its first title, the Primera C championship in 1971. He then played by Club Atlético Huracán between 1973 and 1980. He was a keyplayer of the team that won the 1973 Metropolitano championship managed by Carlos Menotti. He earned 55 caps. He went to both 1974 and 1978 World Cup Finals.
ST: Alberto Zozaya (Urdinarrain, Entre Ríos)
Alberto Zozaya was the first player to score a goal in the professional era of Argentine football, which began in 1931. He became an integral part of the Estudiantes team of the 1930s nicknamed "Los Profesores" (The Professors). he also played for Racing Club de Avellaneda and Bella Vista in Uruguay. In 1937, Zozaya played in the South American Championship 1937 helping Argentina to win the title scoring 5 goals
ST: Julio Ricardo Cruz (Santiago del Estero)
ST: Luis Artime (Mendoza, Mendoza)
Artime started his career at Club Atlético Atlanta, but better known for his career with River Plate where he became the top scorer in Argentina on three occasions and Independiente where he helped the team to win the Nacional 1967, he was also topscorer in the tournament. With Nacional of Uruguay, he helped the team to win the Copa Libertadores in 1971. He also played Palmeiras and Fluminense in Brazil. For Argentina, he scored 24 goals in 25 games. He played at the 1966 World Cup and at the South American Championship 1967, where he was the top goalscorer.
Honorable Mention
Roberto Pereyra (San Miguel de Tucumán), José Serrizuela (Palo, Tucumán) Rubén Marino Navarro (La Banda, Santiago del Estero) , Esteban Andrada (Mendoza, Mendoza), Pedro Monzón (Goya, Corrientes), Carlos Ángel López (Posadas, Misiones), Héctor De Bourgoing (Posadas, Misiones), Rodolfo Fischer (Oberá, Misiones), Medina Bello (Gualeguay, Entre Ríos), José Daniel Valencia (San Salvador de Jujuy, Jujuy), Ramiro Funes Mori (Mendoza, Mendoza), Rogelio Funes Mori (Mendoza, Mendoza)
Squad Explanation
-- The criteria is about the birthplace of the said players. It is impossible to track down where each player grew up. As I pointed out in other blog teams, some players were born in one place and grew up in another.
-- Gabriel Calderón was born in Rawson, Chubut. He is the only one player on this team who came from Patagonia (Rio Negro, Neuquén, Chubut, Santa Cruz, Tierra del Fuego) in the South of Rio Negro(river).
-- Roberto Ayala is the only member on my Argentina All-Time Team. -- Luis Galván and Rene Houseman won the World Cup in 1978. Both were born in Santiago del Estero.
-- Enrique Guaita was the only player from before the 1960's considered. He was on the 1934 World Cup, playing for Italy. Fearing being drafted by the Italian army, in 1936, he returned to Argentina. However, his birthplace is still unclear. Some source claimed that he was born in Brazil of Italian parents.
-- Estudiantes had a famous offensive lineup in the 1930's that featured both Enqrique Guaita and Alberto Zozaya. They were known as Los Profesores ("The Professors"). It is still regarded as one of Argentina's all-time club teams.
-- José Daniel Ponce and Jorge Burruchaga were on the 1986 World Cup team. Ramon Diaz was not selected for that team. It was rumored due to a conflict between Diaz and Diego Maradona. Diaz's reputation was limited by not playing for the national team.
-- I decided to exclude foreign-born players such as Arico Suárez (Spain), Gonzalo Higuaín (France) and Renato Cesarini (Italy). They were not from Santa Fe, Cordoba and Buenos Aires.
-- I did not have much choices for goalkeepers. Diego Pozo who earned a few caps is my third goalkeeper. I also have Esteban Andrada on honorable mention.
-- Sergio Romero might not be one of Argentina's greatest ever, but his resume looked good. He was Argentina's starting keeper at both WC Finals in 2010 and 2014. Only an injury prevented him from going to the 2018 World Cup Finals. He is also Argentina's cap leaders for a goalkeeper.
-- Goalkeeper Sergio Romero and Diego Pozo were on the 2010 World Cup team, but Romero's home province is far away from that of Pozo. So this blog is more liked "the rest of Argentina" all-time team.
-- Rightback Hugo Ibarra earned legendary status with Boca Juniors. He won the Copa Libertadores in 2000, 2001, 2003 and 2007.
-- The centerback position is very strong. Roberto Ayala needed no introduction. Rafael Albrecht was highly rated in the 1960's. Francisco Sá holds the record for the most Copa Libertadores titles. He was an all-time with Club Atlético Independiente. Of cource, Luis Galvin won a World Cup. Gabriel Heinze and Francisco Lombardo could also play there.
Angels with Dirty Faces with Di Stefano in the WC 1958
Argentina All-Time Team before 1978,
Argentina All-Time Team After Maradona.
Provincia de Córdoba
Provincia de Santa Fe
The City of Buenos Aires, Provincia de Buenos Aires
Argentina is home to 23 different provinces, as well as Buenos Aires, which is an autonomous city. I created all-time teams for the Provincia de Córdoba, Provincia de Santa Fe, the City of Buenos Aires, and the Provincia de Buenos Aires in Argentina. This is the all-time team for the rest of Argentina.
Mendoza, Tucumán, Salta, Entre Ríos, Chaco, Misiones, Corrientes, etc are some of the larger provinces after the places I just mentioned. No club outside of Provincia de Buenos Aires, the City of Buenos Aires and Santa Fe have won the league. Basically, no major club team exists in the regions in question. However, The provinces of Argentina are often grouped into geographical regions: Northwest (Jujuy, Salta, Tucumán, Catamarca), Gran Chaco (Formosa, Chaco, Santiago del Estero), Mesopotamia (Misiones, Entre Ríos, Corrientes), Cuyo (San Juan, La Rioja, Mendoza, San Luis), Pampas (Córdoba, Santa Fe, La Pampa, Buenos Aires), Patagonia (Rio Negro, Neuquén, Chubut, Santa Cruz, Tierra del Fuego).
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| Gabriel Heinze and Roberto Ayala |
GK: Sergio Romero (Bernardo de Irigoyen, Misiones)
Sergio Romero started his career with Racing Club before moving to Europe where he played for AZ, Sampdoria and Monaco. In 2015, he joined Manchester United. At the time of writing, he is a backup keeper with them. Since 2019, he earned over 90 caps for the national team. He was Argentina's starting keeper at both World Cup Finals in 2010 and 2014.
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| Sergio Romero |
Musimessi started his playing career in 1944 with Newell's Old Boys of Rosario, he played 183 times for the club before his transfer to Boca Juniors in 1953. In 1954 Boca won the league championship. Then, he played for Green Cross of Chile. He played 14 times for Argentina. He was part of the squad that won the 1955 Copa América. He was also included in the 1956 Copa América and the 1958 World Cup squads.
GK: Diego Pozo (Mendoza, Mendoza)
Pozo began his playing career with Godoy Cruz in his hometown of Mendoza in 1995. He also played for Huracán, Talleres and Instituto before joining Colón in 2008. In 2009, Pozo made his debut with Argentina in a 3–1 friendly match victory against Panama. The Argentine team was made up of players based in the Argentine Primera División. He went to the 2010 World Cup Finals.
RB: Hugo Ibarra (El Colorado, Formosa)
Hugo Ibarra is an icon at Boca Juniors where he has played over 200 games in three separate stints at the club and won 15 titles. He won four Copa Libertadores: 2000, 2001, 2003, 2007. In between, he played in Porto, Monaco and Espanyol in Europe. For Argentina, he earned 11 caps. He participated in two Copa Americas.
RB/CB: Francisco Lombardo (Mendoza, Mendoza)
Lombardo started his career with Newell's Old Boys. In 1952, he joined Boca Juniors where he played 196 games. In 1960 Lombardo left Boca on a free transfer to join their hated rivals River Plate, but he only made 9 appearances for the club before retiring later that year. Lombardo made 37 appearances for Argentina. He played in 4 Copa Américas; 1955, 1956, and 2 in 1959. He also played in the 1958 World Cup.
CB: Luis Galván (Fernández, Santiago del Estero) photo
Luis Galván started his career in 1970 at Talleres de Córdoba, the club where he spent the majority of his career. Galván left the Talleres in 1982, and went on to play for a string of provincial teams. He also played for Bolívar in La Paz. He played 34 times for Argentina between 1975 and 1982. He was a member of the 1978 World Cup winning team as well as the 1982 team.
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| Luis Galván |
Roberto Ayala captained Argentina for 63 times, a record. He is also the second cap record holder for Argentina. He played in three FIFA World Cups and made a total of 115 international appearances. He was best remembered for winning the UEFA Cup with Valencia. He also played with River Plate, Napoli, Racing Zaragoza, Milan, etc.
CB: Francisco Sá (Las Lomitas, Formosa)
Francisco Sá holds the record for the most Copa Libertadores titles, he won six; 4 consecutive titles with Club Atlético Independiente between 1972 and 1975, and a further two titles with Boca Juniors in 1977 and 1978. He also won two Intercontinental Cup for both clubs. After leaving Boca in 1981 Sá played for Gimnasia de Jujuy for one season before his retirement in 1982. He was capped 12 times for Argentina between 1973 and 1974. He attended the 1974 World Cup Finals.
CB: Rafael Albrecht (San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucuman)
He started his career with Club Atlético Tucumán in 1957. In 1960, he was signed by Estudiantes, where he was called to play for the Argentina national team in 1961. In 1962 he was transferred to San Lorenzo for 10 million pesos, a huge amount for those days. The 'Matadores' team won the 1968 Metropolitano Championship without losing a single game. In 1970, he moved to play for Leon in Mexico. For Argentina, he went to both 1962 and 1960 WC Finals.
LB: José Chamot (Concepción del Uruguay, Entre Ríos)
Chamot began his career with Rosario Central, and then moved to Italy, where he played for Pisa (1991–93), Foggia (1993–94) and Lazio (1994–98). His spell at Lazio cemented him as one of the top full backs in the Serie A. He had a spell with Atlético Madrid, before joining A.C. Milan, winning the 2002–03 UEFA Champions League. Earned 43 caps for Argentina, and played in three FIFA World Cups (1994, 1998 and 2002).
LB: Gabriel Heinze (Crespo, Entre Ríos)
Nicknamed Gringo, Gabriel Heinze made a name for himself at Paris Saint-Germain, moving in 2004 to Manchester United and subsequently to Real Madrid in Spain, winning four trophies with the latter two clubs. He started and finished his 18-year professional career with Newell's Old Boys. Heinze played 72 times with Argentina, representing the nation at two World Cups and as many Copa América tournaments.
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| Gabriel Heinze |
Enzo Pérez played four years for Benfica in Portugal, where he won five trophies, most notably the domestic treble in the 2013–14 season, and reached two consecutive Europa League finals. He also played for Estudiantes de La Plata, Valencia, Godoy Cruz and River Plate. He was capped 26 times. He started at the World Cup Final in 2014 after Angel Di Maria was injured.
CM: José Daniel Ponce (Godoy Cruz, Mendoza)
José Daniel Ponce was a part of Estudiantes coached by Carlos Bilardo that won two back-to-back titles. His trademark were his precision free kicks, and his skill with the ball, both dribbling and passing. In 1983 Ponce was selected to join the Argentina squad for the Copa América 1983. He later took part in the process that led to Argentina's victory in the 1986 World Cup.
CM: Alberto Márcico (Corrientes, Corrientes)
Márcico made his career in 1980 with Ferro Carril Oeste. In 1982, his team won the Nacional championship without losing a single game. In 1984, he helped Ferro to win their second Nacional and was awarded the 1984 Player of the Year title. Then, he played for Toulouse FC for six years before joining for Boca Juniors and Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata. from 1983 to 1992, he earned 15 caps.
AM: Ariel Ortega (Libertador General San Martín, Jujuy)
With River Plate, Ariel Ortega won the Primera División in 1991, 1993, 1994 and 1996, as well as the Copa Libertadores in 1996. He also played for Fenerbahçe, Parma, Sampdoria, Valencia, and Newell's Old Boys. Ortega played 87 times for his country. He played in the 1994, 1998, and 2002 World Cups. He was also a member of the team that won the silver medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics. In 2010, he was recalled back to the national team for a match.
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| Ariel Ortega |
Calderón played in several teams including Argentine Racing Club de Avellaneda and Club Atlético Independiente, Spanish Real Betis and French Paris Saint-Germain. He was part of the Argentina Under-20 team that won the 1979 FIFA World Youth Championship playing alongside Diego Maradona, and also played in the 1982 FIFA World Cup in Spain and in the 1990 World Cup in Italy.
SS/AM: Jorge Burruchaga (Gualeguay, Entre Ríos)
Burruchaga was capped 57 times. He scored the winning goal in the final of the 1986 World Cup. He was a part of Independiente that won the Metropolitano 1983, the Copa Libertadores and the Intercontinental Cup in 1984. He also played seven years for Nantes. With Valenciennes, he was involved in a bribing scandal involving a league match against Olympique de Marseille on 20 May 1993. He was subsequently given a suspended six months sentence.
RW: Rene Houseman (La Banda, Santiago del Estero)
Rene Houseman started with Defensores de Belgrano, where he won its first title, the Primera C championship in 1971. He then played by Club Atlético Huracán between 1973 and 1980. He was a keyplayer of the team that won the 1973 Metropolitano championship managed by Carlos Menotti. He earned 55 caps. He went to both 1974 and 1978 World Cup Finals.
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| Rene Houseman |
Alberto Zozaya was the first player to score a goal in the professional era of Argentine football, which began in 1931. He became an integral part of the Estudiantes team of the 1930s nicknamed "Los Profesores" (The Professors). he also played for Racing Club de Avellaneda and Bella Vista in Uruguay. In 1937, Zozaya played in the South American Championship 1937 helping Argentina to win the title scoring 5 goals
ST: Julio Ricardo Cruz (Santiago del Estero)
Julio Ricardo Cruz started with Banfield in 1993. JHe later played for River Plate, Feyenoord, Bologne and Lazio. The longest spell of his career was spent with Inter Milan, with whom he won four consecutive Serie A titles, among other honours. He earned 22 caps forArgentina, scoring three goals. He represented Argentina at the 1997 Copa América and the 2006 World Cup.
ST: Ramón Díaz (La Rioja)
Ramón Díaz played for River Plate between 1978 and 1982. He then played for Inter Milan, Yokohama Marinos, and Monaco. Diaz won the World Youth Cup in 1979 with the Argentina under-20 team alongside Diego Maradona, winning the golden boot for being the topscorer of the competition. He went to the 1982 World Cup Finals, but was overlooked for the national team after 1982. He is also known by the nickname of El Pelado ("Baldy").
ST: Ramón Díaz (La Rioja)
Ramón Díaz played for River Plate between 1978 and 1982. He then played for Inter Milan, Yokohama Marinos, and Monaco. Diaz won the World Youth Cup in 1979 with the Argentina under-20 team alongside Diego Maradona, winning the golden boot for being the topscorer of the competition. He went to the 1982 World Cup Finals, but was overlooked for the national team after 1982. He is also known by the nickname of El Pelado ("Baldy").
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Ramón Díaz
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ST: Enrique Guaita (Lucas González, Entre Ríos)
Enrique Guaita played for Estudiantes de la Plate, where he was part of the famous attack Los Profesores before moving to AS Roma . He was the top-scorer of the Italian league in 1934–35, with 28 goals. In 1936, he returned to Argentina to play for Racing Club because he feared that he would be drafted into the army. He was capped 4 times for Argentina. While in Italy, he was capped 10 times for Italy. He won the World Cup in 1934 with them, where he scored a goal in the semi-final. |
| Luis Artime |
Roberto Pereyra (San Miguel de Tucumán), José Serrizuela (Palo, Tucumán) Rubén Marino Navarro (La Banda, Santiago del Estero) , Esteban Andrada (Mendoza, Mendoza), Pedro Monzón (Goya, Corrientes), Carlos Ángel López (Posadas, Misiones), Héctor De Bourgoing (Posadas, Misiones), Rodolfo Fischer (Oberá, Misiones), Medina Bello (Gualeguay, Entre Ríos), José Daniel Valencia (San Salvador de Jujuy, Jujuy), Ramiro Funes Mori (Mendoza, Mendoza), Rogelio Funes Mori (Mendoza, Mendoza)
Squad Explanation
-- The criteria is about the birthplace of the said players. It is impossible to track down where each player grew up. As I pointed out in other blog teams, some players were born in one place and grew up in another.
-- Gabriel Calderón was born in Rawson, Chubut. He is the only one player on this team who came from Patagonia (Rio Negro, Neuquén, Chubut, Santa Cruz, Tierra del Fuego) in the South of Rio Negro(river).
-- Roberto Ayala is the only member on my Argentina All-Time Team. -- Luis Galván and Rene Houseman won the World Cup in 1978. Both were born in Santiago del Estero.
-- Enrique Guaita was the only player from before the 1960's considered. He was on the 1934 World Cup, playing for Italy. Fearing being drafted by the Italian army, in 1936, he returned to Argentina. However, his birthplace is still unclear. Some source claimed that he was born in Brazil of Italian parents.
-- Estudiantes had a famous offensive lineup in the 1930's that featured both Enqrique Guaita and Alberto Zozaya. They were known as Los Profesores ("The Professors"). It is still regarded as one of Argentina's all-time club teams.
-- José Daniel Ponce and Jorge Burruchaga were on the 1986 World Cup team. Ramon Diaz was not selected for that team. It was rumored due to a conflict between Diaz and Diego Maradona. Diaz's reputation was limited by not playing for the national team.
-- I decided to exclude foreign-born players such as Arico Suárez (Spain), Gonzalo Higuaín (France) and Renato Cesarini (Italy). They were not from Santa Fe, Cordoba and Buenos Aires.
-- I did not have much choices for goalkeepers. Diego Pozo who earned a few caps is my third goalkeeper. I also have Esteban Andrada on honorable mention.
-- Sergio Romero might not be one of Argentina's greatest ever, but his resume looked good. He was Argentina's starting keeper at both WC Finals in 2010 and 2014. Only an injury prevented him from going to the 2018 World Cup Finals. He is also Argentina's cap leaders for a goalkeeper.
-- Goalkeeper Sergio Romero and Diego Pozo were on the 2010 World Cup team, but Romero's home province is far away from that of Pozo. So this blog is more liked "the rest of Argentina" all-time team.
-- Rightback Hugo Ibarra earned legendary status with Boca Juniors. He won the Copa Libertadores in 2000, 2001, 2003 and 2007.
-- The centerback position is very strong. Roberto Ayala needed no introduction. Rafael Albrecht was highly rated in the 1960's. Francisco Sá holds the record for the most Copa Libertadores titles. He was an all-time with Club Atlético Independiente. Of cource, Luis Galvin won a World Cup. Gabriel Heinze and Francisco Lombardo could also play there.
-- Francisco Sá holds the record for the most Copa Libertadores title. He won 4 consecutive titles with Club Atlético Independiente between 1972 and 1975, and a further 2 with Boca Juniors in 1977 and 1978.
-- Pedro Monzón (Goya, Corrientes) was remembered for receiving a red card at the 1990 World Cup Finals. He only made honorable mention.
-- I only put Rubén Navarro (Santiago del Estero) on Honorable Mention. I do not know his playing position.
-- Alberto Márcico was highly rated in his time, but he is now largely forgotten outside Argentina. He won Argentina's Player of the Year (Olimpia de Plata al Mejor Futbolista) in 1984.
-- Ramiro Funes Mori (Mendoza, Mendoza) grew up the United States. His twin brother Rogelio Funes Mori (Mendoza, Mendoza) also earned a cap for Argentina.
-- Pedro Monzón (Goya, Corrientes) was remembered for receiving a red card at the 1990 World Cup Finals. He only made honorable mention.
-- I only put Rubén Navarro (Santiago del Estero) on Honorable Mention. I do not know his playing position.
-- Alberto Márcico was highly rated in his time, but he is now largely forgotten outside Argentina. He won Argentina's Player of the Year (Olimpia de Plata al Mejor Futbolista) in 1984.
-- Ramiro Funes Mori (Mendoza, Mendoza) grew up the United States. His twin brother Rogelio Funes Mori (Mendoza, Mendoza) also earned a cap for Argentina.
-- Gabriel Calderón is an all-timer with Real Betis in Spain.
Formation
Basically, I am fielding the best eleven players on the field. I do not think Ariel Ortega should play on the left. Jorge Burruchaga could replace him. Francisco Sá or Luis Galvin also deserved to start.
Formation
Basically, I am fielding the best eleven players on the field. I do not think Ariel Ortega should play on the left. Jorge Burruchaga could replace him. Francisco Sá or Luis Galvin also deserved to start.
