Argentina have enjoyed plenty of success in recent years, winning the 2021 Copa America and the 2022 World Cup following a memorable final against France in Qatar. Lionel Messi has been the star man for La Albiceleste for over a decade now, but who else has made plenty of appearances in blue and white?
Football FanCast has looked at the most-capped Argentina players in history, with a detailed view of the top 10.
All information correct as of 16th April 2024.
Rank
Player
Caps
1
Lionel Messi
180
2
Javier Mascherano
147
3
Javier Zanetti
143
4
Angel Di Maria
138
5
Roberto Ayala
115
6
Nicolas Otamendi
111
7
Diego Simeone
106
8
Sergio Aguero
101
9
Oscar Ruggeri
97
10
Sergio Romero
96
11
Diego Maradona
91
12
Ariel Ortega
86
13
Gabriel Batistuta
78
14
Carlos Tevez
76
=15
Gonzalo Higuain
75
=15
Juan Pablo Sorin
75
=17
Americo Gallego
73
=17
Gabriel Heinze
73
19
Juan Sebastian Veron
72
20
Daniel Passarella
70
Here is a detailed look at Argentina's 10 most-capped players:
10 Sergio Romero 96 caps
Sergio Romero is the most-capped goalkeeper in Argentina's history, falling four short of 100 caps.
The 37-year-old, who is still playing at club level for Boca Juniors, made his international debut back in 2009 under the management of Diego Maradona. He would go on to become first-choice over the next eight years, but never won a major tournament despite reaching a World Cup final and two Copa America finals.
9 Oscar Ruggeri 97 caps
Centre-back Oscar Ruggeri is next on the list, regarded by some as one of Argentina’s best-ever defenders.
He made 97 caps and scored seven goals for his country between 1983 and 1994, winning the 1986 World Cup and two Copa Americas in 1991 and 1993.
Ruggeri also captained Argentina at points during his international career and now works in the media.
8 Sergio Aguero 101 caps
Manchester City icon Sergio Aguero is one of Argentina’s top goalscorers of all time and made more than 100 appearances for his country.
The clinical striker scored 41 goals in blue and white, with his debut coming at the age of 18 in 2008. Aguero would go on to feature heavily over the next decade, with his best year in front of goal coming in 2015 where he netted 10 goals in as many games. Unfortunately, Aguero was forced to retire in 2021 aged 33 due to heart problems.
7 Diego Simeone 106 caps
Best known now as Atletico Madrid’s long-serving manager, Diego Simeone is another who won more than 100 caps for Argentina.
During his playing days, Simeone was a no-nonsense midfielder who turned out in three World Cups and four Copa Americas. Simeone’s international debut came in 1988, with his final appearance coming in 2002.
6 Nicolas Otamendi 111 caps
Still representing his country at the age of 36, Nicolas Otamendi was part of the 2021 Copa America triumph and played every minute of action during the 2022 World Cup campaign.
The former Manchester City and current Benfica centre-back made his senior international debut after making a handful of club appearances at the age of 21 and has gone on to feature regularly since then. Otamendi has also scored six goals for Argentina.
5 Roberto Ayala 115 caps
Another defender on the list is Roberto Ayala, with the former Valencia centre-back making his international debut in 1994. He’d go on to make an appearance over the next 13 years, winning an Olympic gold medal in 2004.
However, Ayala’s Argentina career didn’t have the best ending, with his final cap coming in a 3-0 defeat to Brazil in the 2007 Copa America final where he scored an own goal.
4 Angel Di Maria 138 caps
A goalscorer in the infamous 2022 World Cup final against France, Angel Di Maria is still turning out for Argentina at the age of 36, 16 years after making his debut.
The winger has so far scored 30 goals in blue and white, with his best year in front of goal coming in 2021, netting the winner in the Copa America final against Brazil.
3 Javier Zanetti 143 caps
Inter icon Javier Zanetti was a versatile full-back during his playing days, something which came in handy for Argentina between 1994 and 2011.
Zanetti turned out under a number of managers and played in plenty of World Cup and Copa America campaigns without lifting a major trophy on the international stage. After returning from football in 2014, Zanetti now holds the role of vice president at Inter.
2 Javier Mascherano 147 caps
Another player capable of turning out either as a defender or midfielder was Javier Mascherano, who retired from international duty in 2018, before hanging up his boots for good in 2020.
The former West Ham United and Liverpool star made his Argentina debut at the age of 19 and would win two gold medals at the Olympic Games – the only Argentinian to do so. However, Mascherano would never lift a World Cup or Copa America, finishing as runner-up in a major final on five occasions.
1 Lionel Messi 180 caps
The top scorer in Argentina's history, Lionel Messi also holds the record for most appearances for La Albiceleste. However, his relationship with Argentina hasn't always run smoothly.
Messi made his senior international debut in 2005 and currently has 106 goals to his name in 180 caps. It looked as if the iconic attacker would never win a major trophy with Argentina and even hinted at international retirement.
However, Messi would go on to lead Argentina to the Copa America in 2021 and the World Cup in 2022 and will surely go down as one of the greatest footballers ever.
