Top 10 Best Argentine Football (Soccer) Players of All Time
Argentina has produced some of the greatest football players in history. From dazzling dribblers to deadly strikers, the country has never been short on talent. You probably already have a few names in mind, legends who lit up World Cups, dominated club football, and delivered unforgettable moments on the pitch. But who truly stands above the rest?
This list is all about celebrating Argentina's footballing icons. Some players changed the way the game is played. Others carried their teams to glory with clutch performances when it mattered most. And then there are those who built incredible careers full of goals, trophies, and magical performances.
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Diego Maradona
Diego Armando Maradona (October 30, 1960 - November 25, 2020) was an Argentine professional footballer. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of the sport, he was one of the two joint winners of the FIFA Player of the 20th Century award. Maradona was nicknamed "El Pibe de Oro... read more
I love Lionel Messi, but the fact that he still hasn't won a World Cup is disappointing, especially after coming so close in 2014.
Maradona can do anything Messi can do, but with the national team too. I'm not saying that Messi is worse, but he just cannot achieve at the national level. The goal against England in the World Cup says it all.
What would it take for Messi to be considered better than Maradona? A World Cup. If he does achieve this title, I think he's the best player ever.
Maradona is the best player in the history of soccer. He was a perfect player. He didn't need anybody near him to win (like Messi needs Xavi and Iniesta), true story. The teams who faced Maradona in the next match used to say, "We're doomed! Maradona is playing!"
A unique, one-of-a-kind player, he had the quality of Zinedine Zidane, the speed of Roberto Carlos, the dribbling of Messi, the power shot of Romario, and the juggles of Ronaldinho. Imagine what a player he was!
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Lionel Messi
Lionel Andrés "Leo" Messi, born June 24, 1987, is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for Inter Miami CF in Major League Soccer. Widely considered one of the greatest players of all time, Messi has won eight Ballon d'Or awards and numerous domestic and international titles. He... read more
In my opinion, he deserves to be at the top of this list and not Maradona. As a kid who had a disease, who would have thought that he would grow up and become the best footballer in the world and amaze us in every match he plays with his amazing, natural talents?
Leo is without a doubt the best player of all time, and I don't think we could ever see someone else with his talent in the near future.
Lionel Messi, also known as the God of Football and God of Dribbling at Barcelona.
His name alone tells us all about him. Maradona's World Cup achievement cannot give him an edge over Messi. Messi has dominated football for over a decade and has achieved almost everything. He has the most prestigious award (Ballon d'Or) to his name for a record of seven times.
The rumors about him needing Xavi and Iniesta by his side are a fallacy. For the record, he has the highest number of assists (300+) in football history. He is the second all-time goal scorer with a record of 770+ goals as of August 2022. This guy has done it all. He has achieved it all. I don't think anyone can reach that height of greatness.
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Ángel Di María
Ángel Fabián Di María (born 14 February 1988) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a right winger or attacking midfielder for the Portuguese club Benfica.
Di María is known for his dribbling ability, playmaking, rapid pace, and agility. He has had a distinguished career with several... read more
Great passer. Was not used right at Manchester United. He should have stayed at Real Madrid, and that team could have been even greater.
I still don't know how Louis van Gaal failed to use him at Manchester United. Even a Manchester United legend said, "If Manchester United have to perform well in the Champions League, they need Di María," and we all know what happened to Manchester United in that season. They were kicked out in the group stage of the Champions League.
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Carlos Tevez
Carlos Alberto Martínez Tevez (born February 5, 1984) is an Argentine former professional footballer. He played as a forward for clubs including Boca Juniors, Manchester United, Manchester City, Juventus, Shanghai Shenhua, and Independiente. After retiring from professional football, he became a coach... read more
Truly a complete player. He lacks height but has good vision for goal. A player who can tackle, score, and pass. Whenever he played, he benefited the team. Examples include Boca, Corinthians, West Ham, Manchester United, Manchester City, and Juventus.
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Sergio Agüero
Sergio Leonel "Kun" Agüero is a former professional footballer who played as a striker for the Argentina national team and clubs such as Manchester City and FC Barcelona. He retired from football in December 2021 due to a heart condition, specifically cardiac arrhythmia, which was diagnosed after he... read more
What he showed us in the Premier League. His unbelievable contribution to Manchester City and his extraordinary soccer records make him the third best.
Better than Tevez and Di María, he is easily one of the best of all time.
This man deserves a chance. Without injuries, he'll be a brilliant player.
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Gonzalo Higuaín
Gonzalo Gerardo Higuaín is an Argentine professional footballer who played as a striker. He played for clubs such as Real Madrid, Napoli, Juventus, and Inter Miami in Major League Soccer. Higuaín retired from professional football in 2022.
This guy is an amazing finisher. He may be slow, but he is strong and ruled the Spanish league in his time.
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Gabriel Batistuta
Gabriel Omar Batistuta, nicknamed Batigol as well as El Ángel Gabriel, is a retired Argentine professional footballer. He is one of Argentina's all-time top scorers and played for clubs such as Fiorentina and Roma. Batistuta was known for his powerful shots and clinical finishing.
Diego Maradona once stated that Batistuta is the best striker he has ever seen play the game. His stats explain it all. He didn't play for Argentina much in 1996 and 1997 due to a dispute with team coach Daniel Passarella when he was in the best form of his career.
His nickname "Batigol" explains it all. He was a very loyal, committed, and complete player.
He is easily better than Di María, Higuaín, Agüero, and Tevez. I think he is better than Messi too because he not only scored goals but also won the World Cup.
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Alfredo Di Stéfano
Alfredo Stéfano Di Stéfano Laulhé (July 4, 1926 to July 7, 2014) was an Argentine-born professional footballer and coach who played as a forward. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time. The Blond Arrow was absolutely instrumental in Real Madrid's complete domination of European... read more
He redefined what football was at the time. If he played today, he would still be one of the best in the world. He was so ahead of his time. He was the finisher and the creator.
One of the most complete football players ever. In my opinion, one of the three best football players ever.
Wow, it's absolutely ridiculous that the likes of Di María and Higuaín are above him. A five-time Champions League winner who scored in each final. The most complete player of all time.
What? Di Stéfano must be in the top three! He was an exceptional player, very underrated. One of the best players in history.
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Hernán Crespo
Just faultless, and his experience gives him the edge over any striker around.
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Sergio Romero
Sergio Germán Romero is an Argentine professional goalkeeper. He currently plays for Boca Juniors in Argentina. He has also represented the Argentina national team in multiple international tournaments, including the FIFA World Cup.
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Fernando Redondo
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José Luis Cuciuffo
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Diego Milito
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Javier Pastore
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Javier Mascherano
Javier Alejandro Mascherano (born June 8, 1984) is an Argentine football coach and former player. He earned 147 caps for the Argentina national team and played for clubs including River Plate, Corinthians, West Ham, Liverpool, Barcelona, Hebei China Fortune, and Estudiantes. He retired from professional... read more
Mascherano is a "take no prisoners" kind of player! He is very focused and passionate on the pitch.
16? And you have Higuaín in the top ten? Stupid. Mascherano should be 3 on this list.
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Mario Kempes
If Kempes is at the bottom of the list, it's because these statistics are run by very young people. If you guys saw Kempes play 40 years ago, you'd be in shock. Besides his outstanding soccer skills, Kempes had millions of female fans because of his great looks.
He introduced me to World Cup soccer in 1978. After watching the '78 Cup surrounded by England fans while I was working outside of London, this North American then got schooled in the passion of World Cup action. Been a fan ever since.
Kempes was great for Argentina and Valencia. One of the great football players of his time, he should be 2nd or 3rd on this list.
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Manuel Lanzini
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Marcos Rojo
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Javier Zanetti
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Gabriel Heinze
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Ezequiel Lavezzi
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Juan Sebastián Verón
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Juan Román Riquelme
Juan is the world's number 1. It is an insult to football to ignore him. Watch the videos of Juan playing and compare him to any other player. None of the players match him. He is the best. You can deceive others but not us who know football.
Please stop being influenced by soccer politics and be fair. Please stop misleading the world.
If he had been in the 2011 and 2015 World Cup squads, nobody could have stopped Argentina. A brilliant playmaker that Argentina needs.
When he was in his prime, you couldn't imagine how legendary and elegant this player was.
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Javier Saviola
An absolute legend. Top twenty for sure. When he used to play for River Plate, he truly showed what a great player he was going to become.
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Maxi Rodríguez
Maxi Rodríguez is a really good player. He should be on this list.
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Paulo Dybala
Paulo Bruno Exequiel Dybala (born November 15, 1993) is an Argentine professional footballer. He plays as an attacking midfielder or forward for the Italian club AS Roma and the Argentina national team. Known for his dribbling, vision, and goal-scoring ability, Dybala previously played for Palermo and... read more
He should be the first one because, the way I see it, he is still a child, but he will make history.
He is a world-class striker, and he has competed with players like Messi and Ronaldo.
He's the best striker I've ever seen and my favorite soccer player.
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Claudio Caniggia
Don't forget Caniggia was a playmaker for Argentina. He won games for his country many times. He was a strong player.
Someone said that Claudio Caniggia is the missing link between Diego Maradona and the rest of the mortals.