Ana M. López
Research expert covering travel, tourism and hospitality
Soccer in Argentina - statistics & facts
There is not a sport more popular in Argentina than soccer. For generations, Argentinians of all ages have filled stadiums and streets to celebrate victories and support one another during defeats. This sport’s popularity in the South American nation has been strengthen by Argentina’s predominant place on the global soccer stage. In addition to winning three trophies at the prestigious FIFA World Cup, Argentina has also produced some of the finest football players to grace the field: Lionel Messi, who is arguably one of the best soccer players of all time based on his record-breaking number of Ballon d’Or trophies, as well as the well-remembered Diego Maradona, who captained the national team during their World Cup triumph back in 1986.
La Albiceleste in Qatar 2022
The Argentinian national squad – popularly known as La Albiceleste – conquered the 2022 FIFA World Cup title, following an exciting match against former champion France. As a result, the team managed to leapfrog to the second position of the overall FIFA Men’s World Ranking after having struggled in previous years. In the last edition of the tournament, Messi overtook Gabriel Batistuta as the all-time leading goal scorer for Argentina at the FIFA World Cups. The now Inter-Miami player also became the world's footballer with the most appearances in these competitions. In total, Argentina scored 15 times in the seven matches played at the World Cup, excluding the penalty-shoot outs against the Netherlands and France.Diego Maradona: the man, the myth, the legend
Few soccer players can be compared to Diego Armando Maradona – a generational talent renowned for his many accolades drawn in national and international competitions. Following his senior debut with Argentinos Junior in 1976, Maradona’s career as a professional footballer lasted until 1997. During this time, el Pibe de Oro – as he was more commonly known in his country – played 103 matches for his national team. Despite hanging up his boots more than two decades ago, he is still among the top five leading goal scorers of the Argentine national team. The sporting world lost an icon when Maradona passed away on November 2, 2020, but the legend of El Diez will live on in the numerous records he set on the pitch and the countless hearts he inspired off of it.Los Cincos Grandes: soccer clubs in Argentina
Historically, Argentina has given special importance to the so-called Cincos Grandes: Boca Juniors, River Plate, Independiente, Racing Club, and San Lorenzo. As of 2023, these were among the soccer clubs with the highest number of associates, showing that the support for these teams did not fade over time. Despite the popularity of the Big Five, only Boca Juniors and River Plate are far above the other First Division teams in terms of market value. These two clubs – both from La Boca in Buenos Aires – have also been fierce rivals. So much so that matches between them are commonly known as the Superclásico. Boca Juniors is currently ahead of River Plate when it comes to the number of championship titles won.
