The Argentina national football team continues to cement its status as a football powerhouse. The team represents Argentina in international men’s football, including the World Cup. Argentina has produced global football icons such as Lionel Messi, Lautaro Martínez, the legendary Diego Maradona, and Alfredo Di Stéfano.
The Argentina national football team qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup as the defending champions. Having won the 2022 World Cup title, Argentina bids to cement its place this season. Under coach Lionel Scaloni, star players like Messi and Julián Álvarez are key to La Albiceleste’s ambitions. Get the latest Argentina 2026 World Cup updates on SportPesa, including the squad, fixtures, results, group table, and stats below.
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Argentina national football team profile overview
| Official name | Argentina national football team |
| Nickname | La Albiceleste, from their white and sky blue flag |
| Governing body | Argentine Football Association –AFA |
| Confederation | CONMEBOL, the South American football confederation |
| Founded | 1893–AFA is the oldest football association in South America |
| Head Coach | Lionel Scaloni |
| Captain | Lionel Messi |
| Top scorer | Lionel Messi, with 125 goals in 205 appearances, is still active |
| Home stadium | No permanent home stadium; major matches are commonly played at Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires |
| FIFA World Cup appearances | 19, including 2026 |
| Best FIFA World Cup finish | Champions in 1978, 1986, and 2022 |
| Copa América titles | 16 titles, most in history |
| Olympic gold medals | 2, in 2004 and 2008 |
A brief history of the Argentina national team
British railway workers and schoolteachers introduced football to Argentina, leading to the formation of the Argentine Football Federation in 1893. The team played its first official match in 1902 against Uruguay, to whom they would lose 4-2 in the final of the inaugural FIFA World Cup in 1930. La Albiceleste won its first World Cup in 1978, led by Mario Kempes, and repeated the feat in 1986 due to Diego Maradona’s brilliance. Lionel Messi and manager Lionel Scaloni helped end Argentina’s Copa América drought in 2021 and win their third World Cup in 2022.
Argentina 2026 World Cup qualification
Argentina entered the 2026 World Cup automatically through the CONMEBOL qualifiers. In 18 matches, it won 12, drew 2, and lost 4. It also scored 31 goals, conceded 10, and topped the ten-team table with 38 points. Lionel Messi was the top scorer with 8 goals.
Argentina 2026 World Cup group
Argentina was placed in Group J of the 2026 World Cup, along with Algeria, Austria, and Jordan. La Albiceleste won all their group-stage matches, qualifying for the round of 16 with 9 points. Austria and Algeria also advanced to the round of 32 as runners-up and one of the 8 best third-ranked teams, respectively, while Jordan was eliminated.
ALSO READ: FIFA World Cup 2026 schedule: Full group stage fixtures, dates and group breakdown
Argentina 2026 World Cup fixtures and match schedule
Get the latest Argentina 2026 World Cup schedule and fixtures on SportPesa. This includes match dates, kickoff times, opponents, venues, and football highlights.
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Argentina 2026 World Cup results
Catch real-time Argentina results on SportPesa, including live scores and post-match updates. The table below shows the latest World Cup results for Argentina.
| Stage | Opponent | Result | Outcome |
| Round of 32 | Cape Verde | Argentina 3–2 Cape Verde | Won |
| Round of 16 | Egypt | Argentina 3–2 Egypt | Won |
| Quarter-final | Switzerland | Argentina 3–1 Switzerland | Won |
| Semi-final | England | Argentina 2– 1 England | Won |
Argentina 2026 World Cup table and standings
View Argentina’s complete 2026 World Cup tables and standings, which feature the matches it has played, won, drawn, or lost, the goal tallies, and the total points. The table below shows Argentina’s overall position and points.
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Argentina | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 | +7 | 9 |
| 2 | Austria | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 4 |
| 3 | Algeria | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 7 | -2 | 4 |
| 4 | Jordan | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 8 | -5 | 0 |
Argentina 2026 World Cup squad
Head coach Lionel Scaloni unveiled the Argentina squad for the 2026 World Cup on May 28 2026. Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi captains the roster, which also features Julián Álvarez, Lautaro Martínez, Enzo Fernández, Alexis Mac Allister, and Emiliano “Dibu” Martínez. Below is a table featuring the whole squad.
| No. | Player | Position | Club | Nation | Age |
| 1 | Juan Musso | Goalkeeper | Atlético Madrid | Spain | 32 |
| 2 | Marcos Senesi | Defender | Bournemouth | England | 29 |
| 3 | Nicolás Tagliafico | Defender | Lyon | France | 33 |
| 4 | Gonzalo Montiel | Defender | River Plate | Argentina | 29 |
| 5 | Leandro Paredes | Midfielder | Boca Juniors | Argentina | 31 |
| 6 | Lisandro Martínez | Defender | Manchester United | England | 28 |
| 7 | Rodrigo De Paul | Midfielder | Inter Miami | United States | 32 |
| 8 | Valentín Barco | Defender / Midfielder | Strasbourg | France | 21 |
| 9 | Julián Álvarez | Forward | Atlético Madrid | Spain | 26 |
| 10 | Lionel Messi | Forward | Inter Miami | United States | 38 |
| 11 | Giovani Lo Celso | Midfielder | Real Betis | Spain | 30 |
| 12 | Gerónimo Rulli | Goalkeeper | Marseille | France | 34 |
| 13 | Cristian Romero | Defender | Tottenham Hotspur | England | 28 |
| 14 | Exequiel Palacios | Defender | Bayer Leverkusen | Germany | 27 |
| 15 | Nicolás González | Forward / Midfielder | Atlético Madrid | Spain | 28 |
| 16 | Thiago Almada | Midfielder | Atlético Madrid | Spain | 25 |
| 17 | Giuliano Simeone | Forward | Atlético Madrid | Spain | 23 |
| 18 | Nicolás Paz | Midfielder | Como | Italy | 21 |
| 19 | Nicolás Otamendi | Defender | Benfica | Portugal | 38 |
| 20 | Alexis Mac Allister | Midfielder | Liverpool | England | 27 |
| 21 | Flaco López | Forward | Palmeiras | Brazil | 25 |
| 22 | Lautaro Martínez | Forward | Inter Milan | Italy | 28 |
| 23 | Emiliano Martínez | Goalkeeper | Aston Villa | England | 33 |
| 24 | Enzo Fernández | Midfielder | Chelsea | England | 25 |
| 25 | Facundo Medina | Defender | Marseille | France | 27 |
| 26 | Nahuel Molina | Defender | Atlético Madrid | Spain | 28 |
Argentina 2026 World Cup kit and sponsors
Adidas is the primary sponsor for Argentina’s kits in the 2026 World Cup. The home jersey is white with sky-blue vertical stripes, navy-blue shoulder stripes, and black-and-gold detailing. The away jersey has a black base patterned with swirling light blue and navy designs inspired by Argentina’s traditional artistic expressions and white detailing. The AFA logos in the kits are topped with three stars for Argentina’s three World Cup wins. Goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez wears a black kit with sky-blue shoulder stripes and geometric patterning at the bottom, and a turquoise-green away option inspired by the 1986 goalkeeper shirt.
Argentina’s coaches and technical bench
Lionel Scaloni was named the permanent head coach of the Argentina national team in November 2018. He guided the team to its 2021 and 2024 Copa America wins, the 2022 Finalissima, and the 2022 World Cup. The coach prefers an adaptable approach that frees up key players while minimising defensive vulnerabilities. Below is Argentina’s technical team for the 2026 World Cup.
| Role | Staff Member |
| Head Coach | Lionel Scaloni |
| Assistant Coach | Pablo Aimar |
| Assistant Coach | Walter Samuel |
| Assistant Coach | Roberto Ayala |
| Goalkeeping Coach | Martín Tocalli |
| Fitness Coach | Luis Martín |
| Fitness Coach | Rodrigo Barrios |
| Team Doctor | Daniel Martínez |
| Physiotherapist | Marcelo D’Andrea |
Argentina national football team stats
Download Sp Score, SportPesa’s comprehensive app for real-time updates, stats, and in-depth insights. The table below shows Argentina player stats for the 2026 World Cup.
Top goalscorers
| Rank | Player | Matches Played | Goals |
| 1 | Lionel Messi | 7 | 8 |
| 2 | Lautaro Martínez | 7 | 3 |
| 3 | Enzo Fernández | 6 | 2 |
| 4 | Alexis Mac Allister | 7 | 1 |
| 4 | Julián Álvarez | 7 | 1 |
| 4 | Lisandro Martínez | 6 | 1 |
| 4 | Cristian Romero | 6 | 1 |
| 4 | Giovani Lo Celso | 1 | 1 |
Discipline record
| Rank | Player | Matches Played | Yellow Cards | Red Cards | Discipline Points |
| 1 | Lautaro Martínez | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2 | Thiago Almada | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 3 | Rodrigo De Paul | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 4 | Leandro Paredes | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 5 | Facundo Medina | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 6 | Lisandro Martínez | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 7 | Gonzalo Montiel | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 8 | Cristian Romero | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 9 | José Manuel López | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 10 | Julián Álvarez | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Will the Argentina national team defend its World Cup title?
Argentina remains on course to defend its 2022 World Cup title, a rare feat last achieved by Brazil in 1958 and 1962. La Albiceleste’s control of the game’s pace is enabled by the midfield trio of Enzo Fernández, Alexis Mac Allister, and Exequiel Palacios.
Before Argentina vs England, the team will need to shore up defensive weaknesses shown in its match against Switzerland. Messi remains the primary focus of Argentina’s formation for the 2026 World Cup, but relying on veterans this deep can prove disastrous.
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Argentina national football team latest news and updates
Argentina faces England for a spot in the finals on 15 July. Alexis Mac Allister, Juan Álvarez, and Lautaro Martínez’s goals fired La Albiceleste past Switzerland in extra time. The defending champions hope for a more dominant performance against the backdrop of the renewed, bitter rivalry with England. Argentina is set to wear its ‘lucky’ black and navy blue away kit for the match. Stay tuned to SportPesa for more football news.
ALSO READ: Argentina vs Egypt Prediction: 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 16
FAQs about the Argentina national football team
Is Messi in the 2026 World Cup?
Yes, Lionel Messi is Argentina’s primary playmaker in the 2026 World Cup and has started in all matches, including the semi-final against England.
Who is no 1 in the FIFA ranking?
Argentina’s FIFA ranking remains unchanged at the #1 position it held at the start of the 2026 World Cup.
Where is Argentina playing in the 2026 World Cup?
Argentina will play its semi-final match at Atlanta Stadium, also called Mercedes-Benz Stadium, in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. The squad trains at Compass Minerals National Performance Centre in Kansas City.
Has Argentina won any FIFA World Cups?
Argentina has won three editions of the FIFA World Cup tournament: in 1978 as hosts, in 1986 in Mexico, and in 2022 in Qatar.
Conclusion
Argentina’s national football team continues to shine at the top of global football. Will the team retain its 2022 FIFA World Cup title? Catch this and more football news on South Africa’s trusted sports platform, SportPesa! Argentina National Football: 2026 World Cup Squad, Fixtures, Results, Group Table and Stats | SportPesa SA
The Argentina national football team continues to cement its status as a football powerhouse. The team represents Argentina in international men’s football, including the World Cup. Argentina has produced global football icons such as Lionel Messi, Lautaro Martínez, the legendary Diego Maradona, and Alfredo Di Stéfano.
The Argentina national football team qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup as the defending champions. Having won the 2022 World Cup title, Argentina bids to cement its place this season. Under coach Lionel Scaloni, star players like Messi and Julián Álvarez are key to La Albiceleste’s ambitions. Get the latest Argentina 2026 World Cup updates on SportPesa, including the squad, fixtures, results, group table, and stats below.
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