18 World Cups played through 2022 (sat out 1938, 1950 and 1954 in self-imposed exile, and missed out in 1970); 2026 will be its 19th — and a defence of the crown won in Qatar
The squad's bright young thing — a playmaker (b. 2004) who lit up Serie A with Como under Cesc Fàbregas. Real Madrid academy graduate, generational-talent whispers, and the one to set an alarm for.
Argentina's most-capped player ever and its all-time top scorer — a record holder in both columns at once
Passed Batistuta's 54 in 2016 and never looked back; also the top scorer in South American men's history
⚠ The most-used eleven in recent matches under Lionel Scaloni (June 2026) — a snapshot of recent form, never a forecast.
| PLAYER | POS | ERA | CAPS | GLS | FILE NOTE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diego Maradona #10 | AM | 1977–1994 | 91 | 34 | El Diego. Dragged a whole nation to glory in 1986 — by foot, and famously by hand. |
| Lionel Messi #10 | FW | 2005– | 198 | 116 | La Pulga. The argument-ender: completed the set in 2022, record caps and goals to boot. |
| Gabriel Batistuta #9 | FW | 1991–2002 | 78 | 56 | Batigol. The only Argentine with World Cup hat-tricks in two different tournaments. |
| Mario Kempes #10 | FW | 1973–1982 | 43 | 20 | El Matador. Six goals and the trophy in 1978, ankle-deep in home confetti. |
| Daniel Passarella #6 | CB | 1976–1986 | 70 | 22 | El Gran Capitán. Lifted the 1978 cup; a centre-half who scored like a striker. |
| Javier Zanetti #4 | RB | 1994–2011 | 145 | 5 | Il Capitano of Inter and Argentina — endless lungs, and somehow left home in 2006. |
| Juan Sebastián Verón #11 | CM | 1996–2010 | 73 | 9 | La Brujita. A passing range from another postcode; the metronome of his era. |
| Ángel Di María #11 | RW | 2008–2024 | 145 | 31 | Fideo. Made a habit of scoring in finals — and signed off with the 2022 winner. |
| Javier Mascherano #14 | DM | 2003–2018 | 147 | 3 | El Jefecito. Never won a trophy in the shirt, yet ran every midfield he entered. |
| Sergio Agüero #19 | FW | 2006–2021 | 101 | 41 | Kun. Third on the all-time scoring list; bowed out a champion in 2021. |
Three stars, a patron saint in Maradona and a living deity in Messi — Argentina deal in romance, drama and the occasional national heart attack. The reigning champions arrive with the trophy in the hold and a captain chasing one last dance. A historian's gift; a goalkeeper's nightmare.