Argentina's Greatest XI of All Time
Argentina's player pool presents a different problem to Brazil's: the attack is historic, the midfield is deep, but fitting Maradona (96) and Messi (95) into the same XI means one of them has to play out of position. Here's how the data resolves it.
Ratings sourced from the Perfect World Cup player database across 1,800+ legends. Formation: 4-1-2-3.
The man who saved the 2022 World Cup. His penalty shootout heroics in the semi-final against the Netherlands, and again against France in the final, were the reason Argentina lifted that trophy in Qatar. FIFPRO World XI, back-to-back Yashin Trophy finalist. The most clutch goalkeeper in modern football.
The most capped Argentine player in history: 145 appearances across 13 years. 16 seasons at Internazionale. A captain's captain who could play both full-back positions and several midfield roles. The model professional of his generation.
Captain of the 1978 World Cup-winning side on home soil. The original attacking centre-back. Passarella scored 22 goals in 70 appearances for Argentina, an extraordinary return for a defender. His leadership defined an era for the national team.
The best available Argentine centre-back after Passarella, a 2022 World Cup champion and one of the most aggressive man-markers in the Premier League. His partnership with Lisandro Martínez gave Argentina defensive steel they lacked in previous cycles.
The most honest selection on this page. Tarantini was part of the 1978 World Cup-winning team and the best available Argentine left-back in the database. The position is a genuine gap in Argentina's historical depth. Their greatness was always built on attacking brilliance, not defensive balance.
One of the most elegant defensive midfielders in history. His chip over Roberto Carlos to set up Raúl's Champions League semi-final goal for Real Madrid in 2000 is one of the most audacious pieces of skill ever executed by a holding midfielder. Cool, composed, and underrated.
The most combative midfielder of his generation. Two Champions League medals with Barcelona, 147 Argentina caps. Mascherano was Xavi and Iniesta's licence to attack at Barca, the destroyer who made the flair players possible. His World Cup semi-final performance against the Netherlands in 2014 (including that tackle) was a masterclass.
The joint-highest rated player in the database. The arguments for him as the greatest ever are not primarily about stats. They are about what he did when it mattered: the 1986 World Cup, where he almost single-handedly won Argentina the tournament, playing with a knee injury against physically aggressive opponents with minimal protection from referees. He took Napoli from mid-table mediocrity to two Serie A titles. He was unstoppable and unbreakable when the stakes were highest.
Scored the winning goal in the 2022 World Cup final against France. Champions League winner with Real Madrid in 2014, where his man-of-the-match performance in the final is one of the most complete individual displays in the competition's history. A player who peaked exactly when Argentina needed him.
56 goals in 77 appearances for Argentina, a record that stood for two decades. Batistuta was the most lethal pure striker South America has produced: ferocious shot, exceptional in the air, and a leader in the penalty area. He never won the World Cup, which remains one of the sport's great injustices.
Eight Ballon d'Or awards. 2022 World Cup winner. 2021 Copa América winner. The 2022 tournament in Qatar, where he scored 7 goals and won Player of the Tournament at age 35, was the greatest individual World Cup performance since Maradona in 1986. The argument about whether he or Maradona is Argentina's greatest is the best argument in football.
Honorable mentions
The players who made the selection harder.
Messi's primary position in the database is CAM (95 in his 2010s peak). He's moved to LW here to fit alongside Maradona, but the real debate is whether it should be the other way around.
2022 World Cup winner, Serie A champion, one of the best centre-forwards in the world right now. With Batistuta (92) taking the starting spot, there's no room, but in a decade, this ranking may flip.
The last great pure playmaker before the CAM position was phased out. Champions League finalist with Villarreal. The most technically gifted Argentine player of his era who never got a World Cup to match his talent.
The greatest goalscorer in Premier League history at the time of his retirement. His final appearance for City. That goal is the most dramatic moment in Premier League history. 2022 World Cup winner (as a retired player in the stands).
Build your own Argentina XI
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