Argentina
National Team Information
General Info
CONMEBOL
La Albiceleste (“The White and Sky Blue”)
World Cup Participation
1930, 1934, 1958, 1962, 1966, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022
Championships
1921 Copa America, 1925 Copa America, 1927 Copa America, 1929 Copa America, 1937 Copa America, 1941 Copa America, 1945 Copa America, 1946 Copa America, 1947 Copa America, 1955 Copa America, 1957 Copa America, 1959 Copa America, 1978 FIFA World Cup, 1986 FIFA World Cup, 1991 Copa America, 1992 FIFA Confederations Cup, 1993 Copa America, 2021 Copa America, 2022 FIFA World Cup
Argentina National Football Team History
South American Championship Success
Argentina has one of the most successful national soccer teams of all time. La Albiceleste, or the White and Sky Blue, played their first match in 1902, defeating rivals Uruguay 6-0 in Montevideo. The Argentina soccer team won their first trophy by defeating Uruguay 2-0 in the 1906 Copa Lipton.
La Albiceleste won their first major trophy when they hosted the 1921 South American Championship. Wins over Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay clinched the title, which Argentina would also win in 1925, 1927 and 1929.
The first World Cup, held in Uruguay in 1930, also marked the first Argentina World Cup appearance. Argentina won all three of their group-stage matches, vs. France, Mexico and Chile. They beat the USA in the semifinals 6-1 but fell to Uruguay 4-2 in the final.
In 1934, the World Cup followed a single-elimination format and Argentina lost their only match to Sweden, 3-2. Argentina withdrew from the 1938, 1950 and 1954 World Cups but did manage to win four South American Championships from 1941-1947 under manager Guillermo Stabile.
During that period, the Argentina vs. Brazil rivalry heated up. It culminated in Brazilian Jair Pinto fracturing Albiceleste captain Jose Salomon’s tibia and fibula in the 1946 South American Championship final. Argentina went on to win the match 2-0 but Salomon never played professional soccer again.
Mid-Century Struggles
Argentina also won the South American Championships in 1955 and 1957 and the ‘57 team was particularly notable. They scored 24 goals in five matches and Humberto Maschio earned the golden boot, with nine goals.
La Albiceleste’s return to World Cup play in 1958 is referred to as “El desastre de suecia” or the Sweden Disaster. Argentina lost two of their three matches and suffered one of their worst defeats ever in their final match vs. Czechoslovakia.
The team bounced back to win the 1959 South American Championship, which was Stabile’s last trophy as coach. Under Jose Maria Minella, Argentina scored an impressive 3-0 victory over arch-rivals Brazil en route to winning the 1964 Nation’s Cup. It was the first time Brazil were defeated on home soil since 1950.
At the 1966 World Cup, Argentina finished second in their group and were eliminated by hosts and eventual champions England in the quarterfinal. It was a controversial match as midfielder Antonio Rattin was sent off for dissent despite the fact that the German-speaking referee couldn’t understand Spanish.
The only World Cup Argentina failed to qualify for in which it entered was in 1970. Four years later, La Albiceleste qualified but could only manage to make the second round. That prompted a change of coaches and Cesar Luis Menotti proved to be the right man for the job.
World Cup Glory and the Maradona Era
In 1977, 16-year-old Diego Maradona made his Argentina debut but he wasn’t selected by Menotti for the 1978 World Cup. The ‘78 World Cup was the first one hosted by Argentina and the team rose to the occasion.
Led by defener Daniel Passarella and striker Mario Kempes, Argentina managed to secure their first World Cup win as Kempes scored two goals in a 3-1 extra-time win over the Netherlands. Kempes was the top scorer at the tournament, with six goals.
The failure to live up to their billing as favorites at the 1982 World Cup, Maradona’s first, led Menotti to step down as coach. Carlos Bilardo took over and his tenure got off to an uneasy start but there was one reason to be hopeful for the 1986 World Cup. That was Maradona and his skyrocketing importance to the national team.
Mexico 1986 was the World Cup of Maradona as he scored some of the most famous goals in soccer history, won the Golden Ball and finished with the most assists. His incredible play led Argentina to their second World Cup win as they defeated West Germany 3-2 in the final.
The 1990 World Cup didn’t match the heights of 1986 for Argentina but one of their finest wins came during the tournament. La Albiceleste defeated Brazil for the first time at a World Cup as they won 1-0 in the Round of 16 from a Claudio Caniggia goal. Argentina made the final but narrowly lost 1-0 to West Germany.
1990 was Bilardo’s last tournament with Argentina and Alfio Basile was appointed head coach in 1991. His Albiceleste team won the South American Championship, or Copa America, for the first time in 32 years. Gabriel Batistuta was the top scorer at the tournament with six goals.
Maradona returned to help Argentina qualify for the 1994 World Cup but failed a drug test during the tournament, which deflated morale. After winning their first two matches, Argentina lost their next two and went out at the Round of 16.
2022 Qatar
ADD: Argentina soccer betting odds for the Qatar 2022 World Cup listed La Albiceleste at +500 outright odds. They shockingly lost their first match to Saudi Arabia, 2-1. Still, they went on to win Group C with wins over both Mexico and Poland.
Argentina defeated Australia in a nervy round of 16 match that finished 2-1. Argentina’s quarterfinal match was no less frantic. After going up 2-0 vs. the Netherlands they blew the lead and went into extra time. After a scoreless extra time period, Argentina advanced on penalties, 4-2. In a dominant semifinal performance, Argentina defeated Croatia 3-0.
For a fourth straight knockout stage match, Argentina went up 2-0 in the World Cup final vs. defending champions France. Lionel Messi and Angel di Maria were the goalscorers. However, Kylian Mbappe scored twice for France in the late stage of the match to send the final to extra time. There, Messi scored once again and Mbappe responded with a penalty. Emi Martinez made a crucial save on a Randal Kolo Muani shot to deny France repeat titles.
In penalties, Martinez was crucial again as he saved Kingsley Coman’s shot. Argentina went on to win 4-2 to seal their first World Cup title in 36 years. Lionel Messi was incredible throughout the tournament as he scored seven times. For his efforts, he was awarded the tournament’s Golden Ball. Enzo Fernandez and Emi Martinez won Best Young Player and Golden Glove, respectively.
- Lionel Messi – Goals: 98
- Gabriel Batistuta – Goals: 56
- Sergio Aguero – Goals: 41
- Hernan Crespo – Goals: 35
- Diego Maradona – Goals: 34
Messi Update: Lionel Messi has won seven Ballon D’ors, which is the most in history. The diminutive left-footed attacker is one of the most talented dribblers of all-time and is the top scorer for both Argentina and FC Barcelona. Messi was named the 2014 and 2022 World Cup Golden Ball winner. One of the greatest players of all-time, Messi is also Argentina’s all-time appearances leader.
The 1986 World Cup was both captain Diego Maradona and Argentina’s finest hour. In their first group game, Argentina defeated South Korea 3-1 behind a Jorge Valdano brace. Then, Maradona equalized to preserve a 1-1 draw vs. Italy. La Albiceleste finished on top of Group A with a 2-0 win over Bulgaria in their final group match.
Pedro Pasculli scored the game’s only goal in a round of 16 win over South American rivals Uruguay to set up a quarterfinal matchup with England. Maradona scored his two most famous goals in this match, the “Hand of God” and the “Goal of the Century”, as Argentina advanced with a 2-1 win.
He notoriously used his hand to guide in the first goal and it wasn’t seen by the referee, so the goal stood. The second remains one of the best goals of all time as Maradona picked the ball up in his half and dribbled past the majority of the England team and the goalkeeper to cement his legendary status.
If that wasn’t enough, Maradona scored both goals in the semifinal vs. Belgium to send Argentina into the final. In a thrilling match vs. West Germany, Argentina blew a two-goal lead but got the winner in the 83rd minute to win 3-2 and seal their second World Cup trophy. Maradona won the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player and finished with five goals and five assists.
Argentina’s worst performance at a World Cup was in 1958. In the opener, La Albiceleste fell to West Germany 3-1 but they bounced back with a 3-1 win over Northern Ireland in their next match. The next match vs. Czechoslovakia remains Argentina’s biggest World Cup defeat as they fell 6-1 and finished last place in their group with a -5 goal difference. When they returned home to Buenos Aires, thousands of angry fans were waiting for them at Ezeiza International Airport.
Argentina Soccer Leagues & Clubs:
Primera Division:
The Primera Division is the top-tier league in Argentina and a very popular option for Argentina soccer betting. It’s a massive league, with 28 current teams and it follows a single-round robin format. The league runs from January to August. At the end of the season, the champion qualifies for the Copa Libertadores Group Stage. Meanwhile, three teams are relegated. The last place team automatically goes down, while the last two relegated clubs are determined by a multi-season coefficient.
Primera Division Clubs 2023
| Team |
|---|
| Argentinos Juniors |
| Arsenal |
| Atlético Tucumán |
| Banfield |
| Barracas Central |
| Belgrano |
| Boca Juniors |
| Central Córdoba |
| Colón |
| Defensa y Justicia |
| Estudiantes |
| Gimnasia y Esgrima |
| Godoy Cruz |
| Huracán |
| Independiente |
| Instituto |
| Lanús |
| Newell’s Old Boys |
| Platense |
| Racing |
Primera Nacional
The Primera Nacional is the second division Argentine soccer league. It features 37 teams split into two zones. In each zone, a double round-robin is played. Then, the winners of each zone play in a final to determine the first automatically promoted team. The second to eighth place teams in each zone, along with the loser of the final, also contest a knockout style tournament. The winner of the knockout tournament in each zone is also promoted. The last place team in each zone goes down to the third tier.
Primera Nacional Clubs 2023:
| Team |
|---|
| Agropecuario Argentino |
| Aldosivi |
| All Boys |
| Almagro |
| Almirante Brown |
| Alvarado |
| Atlanta Buenos Aires |
| Atlético de Rafaela |
| Brown Adrogué |
| Chacarita Juniors |
| Chaco For Ever |
| Defensores de Belgrano |
| Defensores Unidos |
| Deportivo Madryn |
| Deportivo Maipú |
| Deportivo Morón |
| Deportivo Riestra |
| Estudiantes (Caseros) |
| Estudiantes (Río Cuarto) |
| Ferro Carril Oeste |
| Flandria |
| Gimnasia y Esgrima (Jujuy) |
| Gimnasia y Esgrima (Mendoza) |
| Güemes |
Argentina Cups & Tournaments
Argentina’s soccer teams compete in the annual Copa Argentina tournament. It features 64 teams and was only revived in 2011 after a long absence. The tournament follows a single elimination format. The most successful team in the competition’s history is Boca Juniors, with four titles.
All of the Primera Division teams compete in the Copa de la Liga Profesional. It follows a group stage and knockout format. The Primera Division teams are divided into two zones and each zone plays a single round-robin with one interzonal rivalry match. Then, the top four teams from each zone advance to the single-elimination knockout stage. This is an important tournament because the combined Primera Division and Copa de la Liga Profesional table determines the rest of the qualifiers for South American competitions.
The Supercopa Argentina is another opportunity for Argentina soccer betting. It pits the winner of the Primera Division vs. the winner of the Supercopa Argentina. The match has been held since 2012 but was canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. So far, River Plate are the only club with two Supercopas.
Argentina Soccer Betting Information
Betting on the Argentina
With 28 teams in the Primera Division, betting on Argentine soccer can be a difficult endeavor. Still, there are certainly solid opportunities to bet on Argentina’s top tier league. Due to the single round-robin format, scheduling can have a great deal of impact on the final league table. Home field advantage was particularly pronounced in 2022, with home teams winning 43 percent of the time. Road teams won just 26 percent of the time and matches finished in draws nearly 31 percent of the time.
In 2022, the Primera Division was one of the lowest scoring leagues in the world. Matches averaged just 2.18 goals per game as defensive battles were quite common. Three or more goals were scored just 39 percent of the time. The score at halftime was 0-0 a whopping 36 percent of the time.
Boca Juniors were champions in 2022 and they and River Plate are by far the two biggest clubs in the country. Combined, they have been Argentine football champions 72 times. In the last decade, Racing Club, San Lorenzo, Velez Sarsfield, Newell’s Old Boys and Lanus have also won titles.
Argentina National Team Betting Tips & Odds
Entering the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Argentina’s soccer betting odds stood at +500.
Argentina has one of the best national teams in the world. Previously on a long title drought, Argentina have won their last two major competitions. In 2021, Angel di Maria’s goal was the difference in the Copa America final vs. Brazil. Entering the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Argentina’s soccer betting odds stood at +500. Despite losing their first match, Lionel Messi & Co. went on an unbelievable run to win the World Cup.
Messi has not yet retired from international competition but the sense is that he only has a tournament or two left in him. Still, Argentina have exciting up-and-coming talents that could somewhat soften a huge blow. Julian Alvarez is poised to become Argentina’s striker of the future after scoring four goals at the World Cup. Alexis Mac Allister and Enzo Fernandez could also be paired in Argentina’s midfield for years to come.
Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez will certainly be around for the next World Cup and he was crucial in Argentina’s recent triumphs. Getting to the World Cup has certainly been no problem for Argentina, even in a competitive CONMEBOL group. They’ve participated at every edition of the World Cup since 1974. As of the start of 2023, they’ve only lost one match since 2019. Argentina should continue to compete for Copa America and World Cup titles in the foreseeable future.
Conclusion
Argentina is a football-crazy country. La Albiceleste is a source of immense national pride, especially following their 2022 World Cup win. As long as Lionel Messi is still playing, Argentina should be a force to be reckoned with.
There are plenty of domestic competitions in Argentina to bet on as well. The Primera Division, Copa Argentina, Copa de la Liga Profesional and Supercopa Argentina are all top-tier competitions. With a unique structure, the Primera Division could be a solid option for certain bettors.
