Argentina national football team

The Argentina national football team is the national football team of Argentina, controlled by the Argentine Football Association which is known by its abbreviation AFA.

Argentina is one of the most successful national football teams, having won two World Cups and is currently the World Youth Champion and holder of the 2004 Olympic Gold Medal.

La Selección (also referred to as the Albicelestes (Blue and Whites)) have 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 won again in 1986 (led by Diego Maradona), a 3-2 victory over West Germany. Their most recent final was in 1990, which they lost 1-0 to West Germany due a controversial penalty.

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 Summer Olympics.

Argentina Football also won 7 of the 14 Pan American Games, winning in 1951, 1955, 1959, 1960, 1971, 1995 and 2003.

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

Since the competition's creation in 1977, Argentina has 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 under previous national coach, Jose Pekerman (1995, 1997 and 2001).

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

On June 8 2005, Argentina qualified for their 14th World Cup Finals appearance by beating arch rivals Brazil 3-1 in Buenos Aires, but were eliminated on penalties to Germany in the quarter-finals, after being ahead until the final 10 minutes. ^* ^* ^*

Following Pekerman's resignation, as of July 2006 the team have no coach and AFA is considering temporarily offering the post to his second man Hugo Tocalli. ^*

World Cup record

Year	Round	Position	Games	Wins	Draws	Losses	Goals Scored	Goals Against	bgcolor=#f5f5dc	1930	Final	Runners-up	5	4	0	1	18	9	bgcolor=#f5f5dc	1934	Round 1	9th	1	0	0	1	2	3	bgcolor=#f5f5dc	1938	Withdrew	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	bgcolor=#f5f5dc	1950	Withdrew	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	bgcolor=#f5f5dc	1954	Did not enter	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	bgcolor=#f5f5dc	1958	Round 1	13th	3	1	0	2	5	10	bgcolor=#f5f5dc	1962	Round 1	10th	3	1	1	1	2	3	bgcolor=#f5f5dc	1966	Quarterfinals	5th	4	2	1	1	4	2	bgcolor=#f5f5dc	1970	Did not qualify	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	bgcolor=#f5f5dc	1974	Round 2	8th	6	1	2	3	9	12	bgcolor=#f5f5dc	1978	Final	Champions	7	5	1	1	15	4	bgcolor=#f5f5dc	1982	Round 2	12th	5	2	0	3	8	7	bgcolor=#f5f5dc	1986	Final	Champions	7	6	1	0	14	5	bgcolor=#f5f5dc	1990	Final	Runners-up	7	2	3	2	5	4	bgcolor=#f5f5dc	1994	Round 2	9th	4	2	0	2	8	6	bgcolor=#f5f5dc	1998	Quarterfinals	7th	5	3	1	1	10	4	bgcolor=#f5f5dc	2002	Round 1	18th	3	1	1	1	2	2	bgcolor=#f5f5dc	2006	Quarterfinals	6th	5	3	2	0	11	3	bgcolor=#f5f5dc	Total	14 appearances	2 championships	63	33	12	19	100	67

Copa América record

1916 - Runners-up
1917 - Runners-up
1919 - Third Place
1920 - Runners-up
1921 - Winners
1922 - Fourth Place
1923 - Runners-up
1924 - Runners-up
1925 - Winners
1926 - Runners-up
1927 - Winners

1929 - Winners
1935 - Runners-up
1937 - Winners
1939 - Withdrew
1941 - Winners
1942 - Runners-up
1945 - Winners
1946 - Winners
1947 - Winners
1949 - Withdrew
1953 - Withdrew

1955 - Winners
1956 - Third Place
1957 - Winners
1959 - Winners
1959 - Runners-up
1963 - Third Place
1967 - Runners-up
1975 - Round 1
1979 - Round 1
1983 - Round 1
1987 - Fourth Place

1989 - Third Place
1991 - Winners
1993 - Winners
1995 - Quarterfinals
1997 - Quarterfinals
1999 - Quarterfinals
2001 - Withdrew
2004 - Runners-up

Famous Past players

Antonio Angelillo (also played for Italy) (1957)
Osvaldo Ardiles (1974-1982)
Abel Balbo (1988-1998)
Gabriel Batistuta (1991-2002)
Jorge Burruchaga (1983-1990)
Claudio Caniggia (1988-2002)
Amadeo Carrizo (1946-1958)
José Chamot (1991-2002)
Alfredo Di Stefano (also played for Colombia and Spain) (1947)
Ubaldo Fillol (1972-1985)

Marcelo Gallardo (1995-2002)
Sergio Goycochea (1989-1995)
Mario Kempes (1974-1982)
Claudio Lopez (1995-2002)
Diego Armando Maradona (1977-1994)
Silvio Marzolini (1961-1970)
José Manuel Moreno (1940-1947)
Ariel Ortega (1994-2003)
Daniel Passarella (1974-1986)
Roberto Perfumo (1960-1974)
Antonio Rattín (1959-1966)
Fernando Redondo (1991-1995/1999-2002)

Oscar Ruggeri (1982-1994)
Roberto Néstor Sensini (1989-2000)
Diego Simeone (1991-2003)
Omar Sivori (also played for Italy) (1956-1957)
Guillermo Stábile (1924-1934)
Jorge Valdano (1980-1990)
Juan Sebastián Verón (1995-2003)
Ricardo Villa (1974-1982)
Javier Zanetti (1994-2005)
Julio Olarticoechea (1982-1990)

Former Managers

1972-1974 Enrique Omar Sívori
1974-1974 Vladislao Cap
1974-1982 César Luis Menotti
1982-1990 Carlos Bilardo
1990-1994 Alfio Basile
1994-1998 Daniel Passarella
1998-2004 Marcelo Bielsa
2004-2006 José Pekerman

World Cup 2006 Information

Argentina won their opening game of the tournament beating Ivory Coast 2-1. Goals for Argentina came from Chelsea's Hernan Crespo and Sevilla's Javier Saviola, and Ivory Coast's goal came from another Chelsea striker, Didier Drogba. Argentina beat Serbia and Montenegro on the 16th of June 2006, winning 6-0. Argentina opened the scoring early in the 6th minute through Maxi which set the pace for the rest of the game with goals from Cambiasso (31') and Maxi again(41') towards the end of first half .The second half saw goals from Crespo(78') Tevez(84')and Messi(88'). Crespo was booked for dissent in the 37th minute after his delightful chip over Jevrić into the net was harshly ruled out for offside. On Saturday June 24th, the Argentinian squad defeated Mexico in a thrilling second round match that went into extra time. The final goal was a marvelous strike by Maxi Rodriguez (98'), volleying a shot out of the air off his chest, into the upper left corner of the net. However, on Friday June 30th, Argentina were defeated on penalties by Germany after both teams scored one goal during regulation time. Shortly after the elimination, coach Jose Pekerman resigned from his position.

Starting Line-Ups and Formations

June 10 : Côte d'Ivoire 2-1

June 16 : Serbia & Montenegro 6-0

Luis González injured.

June 21 : Netherlands 0-0

Nicolás Burdisso injured.

June 24 : Mexico 2-1 (a.e.t.)

June 30 : Germany 1-1 (a.e.t), 2-4 (pens)

Roberto Abbondanzieri injured.

Trivia

Argentina and Uruguay hold the record for the most international matches played between two countries. The two teams have faced each other 161 times 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 1889, neither match is considered official; Canada did not play an official international until 1904 and the USA did not play one until 1916.)

In the 2006 World Cup Leandro Cufré was given a red card and sent off after the end of the Quarter Final game with Germany for his part in the disruption after the match, even though he was a substitute and had not participated in the game itself. It is the only occasion of a player being sent off in a FIFA World Cup match after the final whistle, or without playing in the game.

External links

Football in Argentina | South American national football teams | FIFA World Cup winners

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