Argentina has produced two of the most iconic players in FIFA World Cup history. Diego Maradona had perhaps the greatest individual campaign ever en route to leading the Argentines to the title in 1986, and 2022 World Cup champion Lionel Messi is the only player to win the World Cup Golden Ball multiple times, taking home the prestigious award for the tournament's best player in 2014 and 2022.
Argentina enters the 2026 edition of the quadrennial tournament looking to defend its title and add to its illustrious history on the global stage.
Here is a look at the South American nation's history at the FIFA World Cup:
Appearances
19 (1930, 1934, 1958, 1962, 1966, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022, 2026)
Years as host
1978
Best finish
Champions in 1978, 1986 and 2022
All-time record (W-L-D)
47-24-17
All-time goals scored
152
All-time goals allowed
101
All-time goal differential
+51
Most career appearances by a single player
Lionel Messi, 26 across five World Cups (2006, 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022)
Most career goals by a single player
Lionel Messi, 13
Most goals by a player at a single World Cup
Guillermo Stábile, eight in 1930
All-time finishes
2022: Won title (defeated France 4-2 in penalties in final after playing to 3-3 draw after extra time); Messi named best player; Enzo Fernández named best young player; Emiliano Martínez named best goalkeeper
2018: Lost to France 4-3 in Round of 16
2014: Runner-up (lost to Germany 1-0 after extra time in final); Messi named best player
2010: Lost to Germany 4-0 in quarterfinals
2006: Lost to Germany 4-2 in penalties in quarterfinals
2002: Group stage (third in Group F)
1998: Lost to the Netherlands 2-1 in quarterfinals
1994: Lost to Romania 3-2 in Round of 16
1990: Runner-up (lost to West Germany 1-0 in final)
1986: Won title (defeated West Germany 3-2 in final); Maradona named best player
1982: Second group stage (third in Group C)
1978: Won title (defeated the Netherlands 3-1 after extra time in final); Mario Kempes (six goals) finished as tournament's top scorer and named best player; Argentina won Fair Play award
1974: Eighth place (Last Eight held as second group stage)
1970: Did not qualify
1966: Lost to England 1-0 in quarterfinals
1962: Group stage (third in Group 4)
1958: Group stage (fourth in Group 1)
1954: Withdrew
1950: Withdrew
1938: Withdrew
1934: Lost to Sweden 3-2 in Round of 16
1930: Runner-up (lost to Uruguay 4-2 in inaugural final); Stábile (eight goals) finished as tournament's top scorer
All-time rosters
2026: Thiago Almada, Julián Álvarez, Valentín Barco, Rodrigo De Paul, Enzo Fernández, Nico González, Giovani Lo Celso, José Manuel López, Alexis Mac Allister, Emiliano Martínez, Lautaro Martínez, Lisandro Martínez, Facundo Medina, Lionel Messi, Nahuel Molina, Gonzalo Montiel, Juan Musso, Nicolás Otamendi, Exequiel Palacios, Leandro Paredes, Nico Paz, Cristian Romero, Gerónimo Rulli, Marcos Senesi, Giuliano Simeone, Nicolás Tagliafico, Lionel Scaloni (manager)
2022: Marcos Acuña, Thiago Almada, Julián Álvarez, Franco Armani, Ángel Correa, Rodrigo De Paul, Ángel Di María, Paulo Dybala, Enzo Fernández, Juan Foyth, Alejandro Gómez, Alexis Mac Allister, Emiliano Martínez, Lautaro Martínez, Lisandro Martínez, Lionel Messi, Nahuel Molina, Gonzalo Montiel, Nicolás Otamendi, Exequiel Palacios, Leandro Paredes, Germán Pezzella, Guido Rodríguez, Cristian Romero, Gerónimo Rulli, Nicolás Tagliafico, Lionel Scaloni (manager)
2018: Marcos Acuña, Sergio Agüero, Cristian Ansaldi, Franco Armani, Éver Banega, Lucas Biglia, Wilfredo Caballero, Ángel Di María, Paulo Dybala, Federico Fazio, Nahuel Guzmán, Gonzalo Higuaín, Giovani Lo Celso, Javier Mascherano, Gabriel Mercado, Lionel Messi, Maximiliano Meza, Nicolás Otamendi, Cristian Pavón, Enzo Pérez, Marcos Rojo, Eduardo Salvio, Nicolás Tagliafico, Jorge Sampaoli (manager)
2014: Sergio Agüero, Ricardo Alvarez, Mariano Andújar, José Basanta, Lucas Biglia, Hugo Campagnaro, Martín Demichelis, Ángel Di María, Augusto Fernández, Federico Fernández, Fernando Gago, Ezequiel Garay, Gonzalo Higuaín, Ezequiel Lavezzi, Javier Mascherano, Lionel Messi, Agustín Orion, Rodrigo Palacio, Enzo Pérez, Maxi Rodríguez, Marcos Rojo, Sergio Romero, Pablo Zabaleta, Alejandro Sabella (manager)
2010: Sergio Agüero, Mariano Andújar, Marcos Angeleri, Cristian Ansaldi, Fernando Belluschi, Mario Bolatti, Jonathan Bottinelli, Nicolás Burdisso, Esteban Cambiasso, Juan Pablo Carrizo, Fabricio Coloccini, Andres Nicolas D'Alessandro, Dátolo, Martín Demichelis, Ángel Di María, Cata Díaz, Sebastián Domínguez, Fernando Gago, Ariel Garcé, Jonás Gutiérrez, Gabriel Heinze, Gonzalo Higuaín, Emiliano Insúa, Ezequiel Lavezzi, Javier Mascherano, Lionel Messi, Diego Milito, Gabriel Milito, Fabián Monzón, Agustín Orion, Nicolás Otamendi, Rodrigo Palacio, Martín Palermo, Nico Pareja, Javier Pastore, Enzo Pérez, Diego Perotti, Leonardo Ponzio, Diego Pozo, Clemente Rodríguez, Maxi Rodríguez, Sergio Romero, Walter Samuel, José Sosa, Carlos Tevez, Oscar Ustari, Juan Sebastián Verón, Pablo Zabaleta, Javier Zanetti, Diego Maradona (manager)
2006: Roberto Abbondanzieri, Pablo Aimar, Roberto Ayala, Nicolás Burdisso, Esteban Cambiasso, Fabricio Coloccini, Hernán Crespo, Julio Cruz, Leandro Cufré, Leo Franco, Lucho González, Gabriel Heinze, Javier Mascherano, Lionel Messi, Gabriel Milito, Rodrigo Palacio, Juan Román Riquelme, Maxi Rodríguez, Javier Saviola, Lionel Scaloni, Juan Pablo Sorin, Carlos Tevez, Oscar Ustari, José Pékerman (manager)
2002: Pablo Aimar, Matías Almeyda, Roberto Ayala, Gabriel Batistuta, Roberto Bonano, Germán Burgos, Claudio Caniggia, Pablo Cavallero, José Chamot, Hernán Crespo, Marcelo Gallardo, Kily González, Claudio Husaín, Claudio López, Gustavo López, Ariel Ortega, Diego Placente, Mauricio Pochettino, Walter Samuel, Diego Simeone, Juan Pablo Sorín, Juan Sebastián Verón, Javier Zanetti, Marcelo Bielsa (manager)
1998: Matías Almeyda, Leonardo Astrada, Roberto Ayala, Abel Balbo, Gabriel Batistuta, Sergio Berti, Germán Burgos, Pablo Cavallero, José Chamot, Hernán Crespo, Marcelo Delgado, Marcelo Gallardo, Claudio López, Ariel Ortega, Pablo Paz, Mauricio Pineda, Carlos Roa, Roberto Sensini, Diego Simeone, Juan Sebastián Verón, Nelson Vivas, Javier Zanetti, Daniel Passarella (manager)
1994: Abel Balbo, José Basualdo, Gabriel Batistuta, Ramón Medina Bello, Jorge Borelli, Fernando Cáceres, Claudio Caniggia, José Chamot, Hernán Díaz, Sergio Goycochea, Luis Islas, Alejandro Mancuso, Diego Maradona, Ariel Ortega, Hugo Pérez, Fernando Redondo, Leonardo Rodríguez, Oscar Ruggeri, Norberto Scoponi, Roberto Sensini, Diego Simeone, Sergio Vázquez, Alfio Basile (manager)
1990: Abel Balbo, José Basualdo, Sergio Batista, Edgardo Bauza, Jorge Burruchaga, Gabriel Calderón, Fabián Cancelarich, Claudio Caniggia, Ángel Comizzo, Gustavo Dezotti, Néstor Fabbri, Ricardo Giusti, Sergio Goycochea, Néstor Lorenzo, Diego Maradona, Pedro Monzón, Julio Olarticoechea, Nery Pumpido, Oscar Ruggeri, Roberto Sensini, José Serrizuela, Juan Simón, Pedro Troglio, Carlos Bilardo (manager)
1986: Sergio Almirón, Sergio Batista, Ricardo Bochini, Claudio Borghi, José Luis Brown, Jorge Burruchaga, Néstor Clausen, José Luis Cuciuffo, Héctor Enrique, Oscar Garré, Ricardo Giusti, Luis Islas, Diego Maradona, Julio Olarticoechea, Pedro Pasculli, Daniel Passarella, Nery Pumpido, Oscar Ruggeri, Carlos Daniel Tapia, Marcelo Trobbiani, Jorge Valdano, Héctor Zelada, Carlos Bilardo (manager)
1982: Osvaldo Ardiles, Héctor Baley, Juan Barbas, Daniel Bertoni, Gabriel Calderón, Ramón Díaz, Ubaldo Fillol, Luis Galván, Américo Gallego, Patricio Hernández, Mario Kempes, Diego Maradona, Julio Olarticoechea, Jorge Olguín, Daniel Passarella, Nery Pumpido, Santiago Santamaría, Alberto Tarantini, Enzo Trossero, Jorge Valdano, José Daniel Valencia, José Van Tuyne, César Luis Menotti (manager)
1978: Norberto Alonso, Osvaldo Ardiles, Héctor Baley, Daniel Bertoni, Ubaldo Fillol, Américo Gallego, Luis Galván, Rubén Galván, René Houseman, Mario Kempes, Daniel Killer, Omar Larrosa, Ricardo La Volpe, Leopoldo Luque, Jorge Olguín, Oscar Ortiz, Miguel Oviedo, Rubén Pagnanini, Daniel Passarella, Alberto Tarantini, José Daniel Valencia, Ricardo Villa, César Luis Menotti (manager)
1974: Rubén Ayala, Carlos Babington, Agustín Balbuena, Ángel Bargas, Miguel Ángel Brindisi, Daniel Carnevali, Jorge Carrascosa, Enrique Chazarreta, Rubén Glaria, Ramón Heredia, René Houseman, Ubaldo Fillol, Mario Kempes, Roberto Perfumo, Aldo Poy, Francisco Sá, Miguel Ángel Santoro, Carlos Squeo, Roberto Telch, Néstor Togneri, Enrique Wolff, Héctor Yazalde, Vladislao Cap (manager)
1966: Rafael Albrecht, Luis Artime, Oscar Calics, Mario Chaldú, Roberto Ferreiro, Hugo Gatti, Alberto Mario González, Rolando Irusta, Nelson López, Silvio Marzolini, Oscar Más, Ermindo Onega, José Pastoriza, Roberto Perfumo, Antonio Rattín, Alfredo Rojas, Antonio Roma, Juan Carlos Sarnari, Carmelo Simeone, Jorge Solari, Aníbal Tarabini, José Varacka, Juan Carlos Lorenzo (manager)
1962: Ramón Abeledo, Rafael Albrecht, Raúl Belén, Vladislao Cap, José Ramos Delgado, Rogelio Domínguez, Héctor Facundo, Alberto Mario González, Alberto Mariotti, Silvio Marzolini, Rubén Navarro, Juan Oleniak, Raúl Páez, Marcelo Pagani, Martín Pando, Antonio Rattín, Antonio Roma, Oscar Rossi, Federico Sacchi, Alberto Sainz, José Sanfilippo, Rubén Héctor Sosa, Juan Carlos Lorenzo (manager)
1958: David Acevedo, Ludovico Avio, Norberto Boggio, Amadeo Carrizo, Oreste Corbatta, Osvaldo Cruz, José Ramos Delgado, Pedro Dellacha, Federico Edwards, Ricardo Infante, Ángel Labruna, Francisco Lombardo, Norberto Menéndez, Eliseo Mouriño, Julio Musimessi, Alfredo Pérez, Eliseo Prado, Alfredo Rojas, Néstor Rossi, José Sanfilippo, Federico Vairo, José Varacka, Guillermo Stábile (manager)
1934: Ernesto Albarracín, Ramón Astudillo, Ernesto Belis, Enrique Chimento, Alfredo Devincenzi, Héctor Freschi, Alberto Galateo, Ángel Grippa, Roberto Irañeta, Luis Izzeta, Arcadio López, Alfonso Lorenzo, José Nehin, Juan Pedevilla, Vincente Pérez, Francisco Rúa, Constantino Urbieta Sosa, Federico Wilde, Felipe Pascucci (manager)
1930: Angel Bossio, Juan Botasso, Roberto "Cherro" Cerro, Alberto Chividini, Jose Della Torre, Atilio Demaria, Juan Evaristo, Mario Evaristo, Manuel Ferreira, Luis Monti, Ramon Muttis, Rodolfo Orlandini, Fernando Paternoster, Natalio Perinetti, Carlos Peucelle, Edmundo Piaggio, Alejandro Scopelli, Carlos Spadaro, Guillermo Stábile, Pedro Suárez, Francisco Varallo, Adolfo Zumelzu, Francisco Olazar and Juan José Tramutola (co-managers)
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