Diego Costa turns his back on Brazil to play for Spain | Daily Mail Online comments Diego Costa has controversially pledged his international future to Spain after rejecting a call up from Brazil for their friendlies in November. The Atletico Madrid forward – who has scored 13 goals in 11 matches this season – has signed documentation confirming his desire to play for the world champions despite being born in Brazil and playing in friendlies for them against Italy and Russia this year. The Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari wanted to select him for November's fixtures against Honduras and Chile but his approach has been officially rejected. On fire: Diego Costa, celebrating against Real Madrid, wants to play internationally for Spain TOP GOALSCORERS IN LA LIGA This season. Rodri (Almeria) 5 David Villa (Atletico Madrid) 4 The CBF are expected to appeal against Costa's decision – their president Jose Maria Marin had already described Spain's intention of calling him up as 'illegal' – given that he has already featured in those two friendlies. The Spanish Football Federation, however, said on Tuesday that they expected Costa to be available for their friendlies against South Africa and Russia, if selected.

'This morning, Tuesday October 29, the Spanish-Brazilian player Diego Da Silva Costa, Diego Costa, attended the notary Serrano 30, where he added his signature to a document that manifests his intention to play for the Spanish national football team,' the statement read. 'The forward has sent this document to Mr Julio Cesar Avelleda, secretary general of the Confederacao Brasileira de Futebol (CBF). It communicates his desire to be available for Spanish national coach Vicente del Bosque, from this moment. 'In this way, Diego Costa can play with Spain, in their next two games in November, if the national coach deems it opportune.' Decision: Costa has turned his back on home country Brazil Forward thinking: Spain boss Vicente del Bosque already has plenty of attacking options To get into the Spain XI, Costa will be have to compete with David Villa, Fernando Torres, Fernando Llorente, Alvaro Negredo, Roberto Soldado and more whereas Brazil have less competition for places and he could partner Neymar. He would not be the first to play for two countries. Many players have played for newer, independent nations following the break-up of a larger state.

Davor Suker, for example, played for Yugoslavia then Croatia, Mattias Sammer played for East Germany then Germany and Oleg Luzhny played for the Soviet Union then Ukraine. However, others have done the same as Costa. Ferenc Puskas famously played for Hungary but also represented Spain and his former Real Madrid team-mate Alfredo Di Stefano starred for Argentina, Colombia and Spain. Michel Platini, a France great, also played an exhibition game for Kuwait. Globetrotter: Ferenc Puskas (right) played for Hungary and Spain while Alfredo Di Stefano represented Argentina, Colombia and Spain Argentina – Soccer Politics / The Politics of Football by David Nammour and Will Flaherty Football’s Start in Argentina As was the case across the South American continent, football came to Argentina via British sailors traveling to the Rio de la Plata basin in the 1860s. From there, the game developed in a number of British schools established in Argentina, spreading rapidly throughout the country from there. Clubs formed as offshoots of these schools, many featuring English-language names (Newell’s Old Boys, Banfield) that still persist today.

But of these early clubs, none have had quite the success of River Plate and Boca Juniors. These two teams have won a combined 56 Argentine club titles, nearly half of all national titles, and battle for the label of best team in Buenos Aires whenever pitted in their bi-annual superclasico. Both had origins in the poor La Boca district of the city, but when River moved north to the Nunez neighborhood in 1923, the followings of these two teams diverged. River Plate became the team representing more affluent classes of Buenos Aires, while Boca Juniors remained the team of the people, playing with the name of the gritty neighborhood they called home across their jerseys. Still today, the rivalry persists as one of the most intense in the world of professional football—so much so that an English newspaper ranked the superclasico as one of the 50 sporting events you must see before you die. That’s high praise coming from the birthplace of the game itself.

[1] River Plate fans are fired up for a 2008 superclasico matchup with rivals Boca Juniors at River’s Estadio Monumental Since the start of the professional football era, Argentina and its players have long played an important role in world football, and European leagues are no exception. One of Argentina’s early top exports to Europe was Alfredo di Stefano. The son of Italian immigrants, di Stefano starred at River Plate as a 17-year old but made his biggest splash with Real Madrid, where he began in 1952 and would play for over a decade on one of the first European club rosters to be truly international in nature, alongside stars like Hungary’s Ferenc Puskas and France’s Raymond Kopa. The tremendous success of Real Madrid and di Stefano set a precedent that would soon be followed in the years to come by other major European clubs.

[2] Above right: A 1947 photograph of Alfredo di Stefano in an Argentine national team kit Peron and Postwar Argentina Although the Argentinean national team’s success on the international soccer stage was limited after its runner-up showing to neighboring Uruguay in 1930 World Cup, the country soon began to assert itself politically as one of South America’s most progressive nations. The 1946 election of General Juan Peron ushered in a new, socialist-influenced political climate in Argentina. During his tenure as head of state, living and working conditions in the country improved significantly. But the picture was not all rosy, as Peron’s government began to clamp down on free expression and the media in an effort to eliminate opposition movements and leaders. The use of widespread imprisonment and torture was one of the weapons in Peron’s political arsenal, setting a precedent that would be followed by future Argentine leaders wary of losing their grip on power. Football was another means for Peron’s supporters to rally, with spontaneous chants often breaking out at Boca Juniors games of “Boca, Peron, una corazon” as a sign of the President’s immense popularity amongst the working class supporters of Boca.

[3] Above: Gen. Juan Peron Peron was exiled in 1955 by a bloody military coup and his political supporters were banned from seeking office. But the populist strain of his politics remained in newly elected president Arturo Frondizi. The military, however, remained on the watch for the resurgence of Peronist politics, eventually deciding in 1966 to overturn a popularly elected government that was creeping too close to the populism of past governments. The new military government had great success in stimulating the economy, but level of political repression remained high. Observing from across the ocean in Spain, Peron made his move to return, eventually forcing the regime to offer up free elections that he won in 1973. His death in 1974 left the presidential seat to his third wife, Isabel, but without the figurehead of the movement, Peronism began to lose steam. [4] The Junta and the 1978 World Cup On March 24, 1976, the Argentine military launched a coup d’etat that unseated Isabel Peron and seized control of the nation.

Reprisals against dissidents and political were swift and harsh, yet football a symbolic element at the core of daily life Argentine life, despite the tense atmosphere in the country. As Argentine writer Rogelio Ramos Signes analogizes of the military government, “[The junta] called it soccer anyways, and it was the only sport they played. The ball, made of transparent glass and elongated like a chorizo, was carried from field to field in an apron pocket. You couldn’t touch it with your feet (and if you did happen to touch it, you got an automatic prison sentence); the penalties were decided by how the dice fell into a swimming pool; hanging from a helicopter, the goalies scored the goals, heading the ball, and only if it was raining.” [5] Led by General Jorge Videla, the junta would last until 1983 and launch a reign of terror and fear that resulted in the murder of over 30,000 Argentines. In his paper National Identity and Global Sports Events, Eduardo Archetti detailed how a “country accustomed to military intervention and violence had never experienced cruelty and madness on this scale.” [6] Gen.

Jorge Videla But in the midst of the political turmoil, Argentina was gearing up for an event of global proportions – the FIFA World Cup. Over a decade before the coup, FIFA awarded Argentina the 1978 World Cup. So with less than two years before the opening kick, the Videla junta led massive efforts to “prepare” for the Cup by ramping up measures eliminating all signs of political dissent. As Hebe de Bonafini and Matilde Sanchez wrote in The Global Game: A treasonous report obtained in the worthless office of some high and mighty priest established that ‘they plan to wipe the country clean of disturbing elements before the first tourist sets foot in it. Argentina is going to show the world its capacity for recuperation.’ That meant they would exterminate dissension at all costs. [7] One of the most visible signs of dissent came from a group of concerned mothers. Called the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo, parents of disappeared political dissidents gave a public face to the atrocities of the junta. Every day at three o’clock in May leading up to the start of the Cup, the mothers would go to the Plaza de Mayo to protest — only to have the police waiting for them to arrive.

Playing a “cat-and-mouse” game, the mothers would be removed from the square, only to sneak back into the square minutes later. Their protests played on emotions, as the grandmothers, mothers and daughters of the disappeared took the streets bearing enlarged pictures of their loved ones. These women did an end run around the government minions by barring men from their protests. After all, what publicity would be worse than the mass arrest of scores of gray-haired grandmothers? With this ingenious tactic of protests, the women of the Plaza de Mayo “had invented a game that excluded men, a game that the junta was constitutively incapable of participant in on its violent terms.” [8] On June 1, as the World Cup kicked off, the mothers staged a large-scale protest in the Plaza de Mayo, with scores of international journalists present to cover the emotional display. Although the junta may have wanted to put football at the forefront, the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo used the showcase of the World Cup to let the world know of the atrocities of Videla’s government. But away from the Plaza, the 11th World Cup was in full swing.

The first to be held in South America since Chile ’62, the ’78 Cup grouped the 16 qualified teams in four initial groups of four teams. This cup would be the last with 16 teams (in the following editions of the World Cup, the number of participants would expand to accommodate the burgeoning number of African footballing nations) and the first with the new penalty shootout rule (although the first shootout would ultimately take place in the 1982 World Cup). In the second round, Netherlands and Italy were matched up in a game that would decide who would advance to the World Cup Final Match from Group A. Arie Haan led the Dutch with a clutch goal to defeat Italy and advance to the final match. In Group B, Argentina and Brazil were the contenders to face the Netherlands in the finals. With the same number of points heading into their final matches respectively, goal differential would decide the winner of the group. Taking advantage of the fact that their game was scheduled after the conclusion of Brazil’s match with Poland, the Argentineans knew that they needed to defeat the Peruvians by a margin of 4 goals. The means to reach that final scoreline, however, would later come under intense scrutiny.

[9] Leading 2-0 at the half, Argentina would dominate play in the 2nd half against Peru and win the match 6-0, resulting in advancement to the final match with the Netherlands. The dubiousness of the result was clear to spectators and organizers: “Argentina needed to beat Peru by four goals to finish ahead of Brazil; it won 6-0… Relations between Peru and Argentina improved with the gift of grain and the freeing of Peruvian credits in Argentina, and many were left to wonder at the more direct financial benefits to some Peruvian players” [10] Argentina-Peru, 1978 World Cup [kml_flashembed movie="" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /] Despite this controversial finish, Argentina would continue on to face the Dutch in the finals. Even before making the trip to South America, the Netherlands team had publicly debated whether their participation in the tournament would be construed as a sign of support for the illegitimate junta, and Dutch star Johann Cruyff decided to skip the World Cup entirely in a move seen by many as politically motivated.

The final match had its own controversy as the Dutch accused the Argentinean team of stall tactics; Argentina won the match 3-1 after extra time, clinching the nation’s first World Cup. After the game, Dutch player Johnny Rep noted of the game atmosphere that “It was too hot. All the militaire. It was too heavy. It was kokend, boiling.” [11] And as could be expected, the win was exploited by the junta to the greatest possible extent. As Archetti writes, “For the Junta it was clear: the victory articulated the excellence of the nation and the importance of staying together, like the national team, against all kinds of enemy. Football was defined as a privileged arena as far as patriotism was concerned. Videla proclaimed four days after the final that the ‘triumph was obtained with capacity, courage and discipline,’ and not, as [Argentine national coach Cesar Luis] Menotti stated, with ‘technical ability.’” [12] Gen. Videla (center) featured prominently in Argentina’s 1978 World Cup victory celebration after Albicelestes’ 3-1 victory over the Netherlands.

Failures in the Falklands and on the Football Pitch With such a high level of orchestration by the Junta, which devoted 10 percent of its budget to staging the 1978 World Cup, it was only logical that some sort of letdown would follow Argentina’s victory. [13] Argentina’s economy stagnated as the Videla regime’s plans to liberalize the Argentine economy failed mightily. From taking over in 1976 until 1981, the Argentine economy lost 300,000 jobs, and most major labor unions were banned all together on account for their potential to dissent the government. Furthermore, policies to liberalize Argentina’s trade policies led to reduced or removed tariffs and the flooding of the domestic marketplace with cheap imports, further harming the Argentine manufacturing and agricultural sectors. [14] With support waning at home, the junta felt it necessary to do something drastic to shore up their mandate. The Argentine generals found their solution in April 1982, in the form of a small, backwater British island outpost just 300 miles off the Argentinean coast.

On April 2, the Argentine launched an amphibious invasion to overtake the Falklands, known as the Islas Malvinas by the invading forces. Although the Argentine military planners expected little response from a post-colonial United Kingdom, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was unwilling to cede the territory in the face of Argentine aggression. A British task force of over 100 ships and 27,000 personnel steamed south to reclaim the captured islands, the adjacent island of South Georgia was quickly secured on April 25. An operation to retake the main Falklands Islands would commence on May 21, with British marines and crack SAS troops fighting through to the capital Stanley by June 14, forcing an Argentine surrender and bringing an end to the hostilities in the South Atlantic. [15] Argentine military helmets litter the ground on the Falklands Islands in the wake of Britain’s successful re-capture of the islands. The invasion was a disaster for the Junta, and would lead to its eventual ouster and free democratic elections in 1983.

But misfortune would also befall Argentina’s football team on the pitch right around the same time the nation’s army waved the white flag in the Falklands. Argentina would lose on the opening day of Spain ’82 1-0 to Belgium, portending tough times ahead for the national side. With its superstar Diego Maradona struggling to make an impact, Argentina would limp to a second place finish in its preliminary group and would eventually fail to muster a single point in the semifinal group stage after losses to Italy and Brazil, leading to a disappointing trip home for Albicelestes. [16] Winning in 1986 With a Helping “Hand” After the downfall of the dictatorship in 1983, a democratic government was reinstalled, and prosperous times were ahead for Argentina—particularly on the pitch. The 1986 World Cup in Mexico was perhaps the paramount tournament performance by Argentina’s national football team. During this World Cup, Argentina possessed a precious jewel that would unleash its potential, and restore Argentina’s pride. This jewel was named Diego Armando Maradona.

For many years, Maradona had established himself as one of the best players in the history of football, leading his team to Argentina League victories (with Boca Juniors in 1981) and a Primera title with Barcelona in 1983. However, the culmination of his career was yet to come. Argentina was a strong contender for the 1986 World Cup title when play kicked off in Mexico, and from the start, Argentina made a strong impact and cruised through the group stages. However in the quarterfinals, Argentina’s matchup with England would produce a game for the ages, and not entirely for all the right reasons. In a match will always be remembered as one of the most controversial matches in the history of the game, Argentina advanced to the semi-finals after defeating England 2-1 on the efforts of two Maradona goals. The first goal was one of controversy, as Maradona appeared to punch in a free ball in the box over the outstretched arms of English goaltender Peter Chilton and into the back of the net, in what should have been a clear penalty and disallowed score.

Instead, the goal stood, and the legend of the “Hand of God” was born when Maradona claimed in the postgame presser that he had scored with some help from above [17] . [kml_flashembed movie="" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /] There was no doubt, however, about Maradona’s second goal. The Argentine effortlessly dribbled past six English players before scoring the go-ahead goal and paving the way for Argentina through to the semi finals. Maradona’s second tally would later be honored by FIFA as the Goal of the Century. [18] [kml_flashembed movie="" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /] After defeating the Germany in the final 3-2, Argentina claimed the 1986 World Cup title, its second all-time. Winning the 1986 World Cup finally meant a win for all of unified Argentina, a win not clouded by the disturbing politics of a military junta.

Furthermore, by overcoming the English in the quarterfinals, the Argentines experienced a cathartic victory that in some ways mollified the painful military defeat at the hands of the British in 1982. In his movie Maradona, Emir Kusturica interviews Maradona about the game, with the footballer describing the win over England as a win for all of Argentina. Maradona described the game as a war, a football war, but unlike in 1982, the Argentinean emerged victorious. The delight Maradona took in cheating a goal pass the British was shown in the movie, when he compared the goal to stealing a young Englishmen’s wallet. His joy was enhanced by the fact that he got away with the prank. But he would later admit that he did score the infamous hand of God with his own. [19] Contemporary Parallels – Le Main de Dieu of Thierry Henry In light of Maradona’s famous “Hand of God” goal, recent events involving a similarly controversial goal by France’s Thierry Henry are of particular interest.

During the qualification for the 2010 world cup in South Africa, France was paired against Ireland in a two-leg, final round playoff. The winner would book their ticket to South Africa, with the loser just missing out on a World Cup berth. In the first leg, France prevailed 1-0, but in the second leg at Paris’s Stade de France, controversy erupted. With Ireland up 1-0 in the 103rd minute, Henry received a long pass in the box and flicked it to William Gallas for a game tying goal that would ultimately usher France into the 2010 World Cup field. However, replays clearly indicated that Henry had handled the ball twice before giving the kiss of death to the Irish with his assist, launching a maelstrom of media invectives against Henry and protestations by the Irish for a replayed match. Yet again, politics became intertwined with football as Ireland’s Justice Minister made public demands that FIFA reconsider the game’s result in light of Henry’s professed chicanery.

[20] [kml_flashembed movie="" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /] The difference between the English and the Irish examples certainly is one of magnitude — the Irish lost a qualification match, whereas England lost in the Quarterfinals of the World Cup. No one can argue which of the both teams had suffered more from their respective brushes with the Hand of God. After the game, Henry made the mea culpa of admitting guilt for what the television audience clearly saw. But ultimately, can we blame him for doing that, or even Maradona for his actions in 1986? Although use of the hands is a form of cheating, it is up to the referee or even the linesmen to make the call on the field, and when such calls are missed, controversial outcomes should be expected. If anything, the examples of Maradona and Henry show just how narrow the margin is between victory and defeat in World Cup football. . . Works Cited [1] Murray 32; The Guardian, 50 Sporting Things You Must Do Before You Die, .

Wikipedia for River Plate/Boca Juniors [2] Phil Ball, Morbo: The Story of Spanish Football, (London, WSC Books, 2003), 123-128. [3] David Goldblatt, The Ball is Round: A Global History of Soccer, 266. FIFA World Cup: Argentina's Top 10 Players of All Time | Bleacher Report FIFA World Cup: Argentina's Top 10 Players of All Time Use your ← → (arrow) keys to browse the slideshow 85.1K 8 Comments Argentina is, without a doubt, one of the most successful football nations in history. Although heartbreak has outweighed success on the biggest stage, Argentina has won 16 Copa America, 2 Olympic Gold Medals, and 6 FIFA World Youth Championships. Argentine Clubs have won more Copa Libertadores (22) than Brazilian sides (13), while also exporting some of the great players in the history of the game, including Alfredo Di Stefano, Omar Sivori, Mario Kempes, Daniel Passarella, Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi, and many more.

Making a list of the best 10 Argentine Players is a nearly impossible task, so I discarded all players who never represented Argentina in a World Cup, which is why Juventus legend Omar Sivori and Real Madrid man Alfredo Di Stefano are not on the list. Although both men had brilliant careers in Argentina with River Plate before crossing the pond, they missed out on the biggest stage before representing Italy and Spain respectively. I have also discarded players who represented other countries, even if they played in a World Cup for Argentina. For that reason, Luis Monti, who was a runner up with Argentina at Uruguay 1930 before winning the World Cup four years later with Italy, was not included. It is unfair to include such players over those who showed loyalty to the Argentine shirt during their entire careers. World Cup Experience: 1998, 2002, 2006 Clubs: River Plate, Parma, Lazio, Inter Milan, Chelsea, Milan, Genoa The ultimate goal poacher, Crespo is the second highest scorer in the history of the Argentine National Team, netting 35 goals in just 64 games.

Making his record all the more impressive is that the majority of his appearances came as a substitute while Gabriel Batistuta was Argenitna’s undisputed number nine. After coming through the youth ranks at River Plate, Crespo debuted for the club under manager Daniel Passarella in 1993 and won three league titles (1993, 1994, and 1996). His greatest achievement for River came during the 1996 Copa Libertadores when he helped Los Millonarios to the title, scoring twice in the Final against Deportivo Cali of Colombia. With Passarella then the manager of the National Team, Crespo won Silver at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta before moving to Parma in Italy, where he won the Coppa Italy, Italian Super Cup, and UEFA Cup all in 1999. His success at Parma brought about a big money move to Lazio for what was then a world record of £35 million. In his first year at the club, he paid back the Roman side by being Serie A’s leading scorer with 26 goals.

On the international stage, Crespo was called up to the 1998 World Cup under Passarella and the 2002 World Cup under Marcelo Bielsa, although he only played a bit role, as both managers deemed that Crespo and Batistuta were too similar to play together, perhaps a move that cost Argentina greatly. At Germany 2006, after bouncing around between Inter, AC Milan, and Chelsea, Crespo was finally given the chance to be a starter at a World Cup at 31 years of age. Although he picked up the Silver Shoe as the tournament’s second leading scorer, Crespo was disappointing for the majority of the time and was substituted as Argentina fell to hosts Germany on penalties. Crespo then won the 2007 Serie A title with Inter, netting 20 goals, and took one last shot at winning a trophy with Argentina at the 2007 Copa America, where he walked off injured after converting a penalty against Colombia which allowed him to surpass Maradona into second place on Argentina’s scoring charts. With Crespo out for the rest of the tournament, Argentina again fell in the Final to Brazil and Crespo’s international career ended without major triumph.

World Cup Experience: 2006 Clubs: Barcelona Although just 22, Messi has put himself among the all-time greats, not only for Argentina, but in the history of world football. Born in Rosario, Messi came up through the youth ranks of local side Newell’s Old Boys before a growth hormone deficiency carried him across the Atlantic to Barcelona, where he has become arguably the greatest player in the history of the storied Catalan outfit. La Pulga burst onto the world stage at the age of 18, when he led Argentina to the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship, winning the Golden Boot as top scorer and Golden Ball as best player. His success for Argentina carried over to his club side, where Messi became an important player in Barcelona’s run to the 2006 La Liga and Champions League double. Jose Pekerman rewarded the 18 year old Messi with a call up to the Argentina squad for Germany 2006, where he scored a goal and added an assist in a 6-0 thrashing of Serbia and Montenegro.

During Argentina’s elimination at the hands of the hosts, Pekerman made a series of puzzling substitutions including leaving Messi on the bench, causing uproar that eventually led to Pekerman’s resignation. Back with Barcelona, Messi enjoyed a spectacular 2006-2007 season. Although Barcelona fell just short of the La Liga title, Leo had effectively replaced Ronaldinho as the club’s most important player, striking 16 goals in the league, including a hat trick against Real Madrid in El Clasico. In the Copa del Rey, Messi scored a goal nearly identical to Maradona’s second against England, bringing about even more comparisons between the two stars. Later in the season, Messi also scored his own version of “the hand of god” against Espanyol. At the 2007 Copa America, Messi was voted the Best Young Player, but Argentina were shocked by Brazil in the Final despite playing the best football of the tournament. The disappointment carried over to Barcelona, where Messi continued to be arguably the game’s best player, but a series of injuries cost Barcelona a chance at the La Liga title.

Finally, in 2008-2009, Messi put together a complete season, void of injuries. After leading Argentina to the 2008 Olympic Gold, he scored 38 goals for Barcelona, who won the “treble.” Messi finished as the top scorer in the Champions League and won the 2009 FIFA World Player of the Year. The following season, Leo netted a remarkable 47 goals, winning the Club World Cup, Spanish Super Cup, UEFA Super Cup, and La Liga. He finished as the winner of the Pichichi, awarded to La Liga’s top scorer, the leading scorer of the Champions League, and the European Golden Boot. Now, all eyes are on Messi to see if he can replicate his form for Barcelona at the highest level. World Cup Experience: 1986 Clubs: Independiente Ricardo Bochini is a rarity in today’s era: a one club man. For twenty years, El Bocha bled Independiente red and is considered one of the greatest playmakers of all time.

Sadly, Bochini is not as well known outside of Argentine because he had a certain Diego Armando Maradona playing in his position, and coach Carlos Bilardo deemed the two plays “too similar” to be on the field at the same time. Although he would always have to play second fiddle to Maradona at the international level, he was unmatched for Independiente during a sparkling 20 year career in which he won four league titles and four Copa Libertadores crowns. Although he never played in Europe, he proved his worth against the top European clubs, netting the winner against Juventus and legendary goalkeeper Dino Zoff in the Intercontinental Cup against Juventus in 1973 and leading his side to the Intercontinental crown again in 1984 against Liverpool. Bochini also won the Interamerica Cup twice in a match against the best clubs from North America. Overall, he played a staggering 740 league games for Independiente and is the ultimate idol in the club's history. Although only a substitute during the 1986 World Cup, he did get on the pitch during the semifinal victory over Belgium and participated in the 1983 Copa America as well.

World Cup Experience: 1958 Clubs: River Plate, Millonarios "Tarzan" is considered one of the most innovative goalkeepers of all time and was even voted goalkeeper of the century. He debuted with River Plate at the age of 19, when River was by far the greatest side in the world with the likes of Angel Labruna and Alfredo Di Stefano. He became famous for wearing gloves, but also for his convention of darting off his line to break up attacks. With River, Carrizo won league titles in 1945, ’47, ’52, ’53, ’55, ’56, and ’57. Unfortunately, his international career did not see the kind of success as his domestic form, as Argentina refused to enter the World Cup in 1950 or 1954 due to political reasons. Carrizo finally got his chance to play in front of the world at Sweden 1958 but, after years of international isolation, Argentina were no match for the more physical and organized Europeans and were home after the group stage.

At the club level, Carrizo represented River Plate over 500 times and set a mark of 769 minutes without conceding a goal. World Cup Experience: 1958 Clubs: River Plate, Rampla Juniors No player is a better representation of Club Atletico River Plate than Angelito Labruna. Born in Buenos Aires, Labruna began his career for River in 1939 and played with the Nunez outfit until 1959. During the 1940’s, Labruna formed part of La Maquina, along with Juan Carlos Muñoz, José Manuel Moreno, Adolfo Pedernera, and Félix Loustau, considered to be the greatest front line in history. A young Alfredo Di Stefano could not even break into River’s vaunted attack and had to be loaned out to Huracan. Di Stefano called La Maquina the greatest team he ever saw play, even better than the famed Real Madrid sides of the ‘50’s and ‘60’s.

Labruna led the Argentine Primera Division in goals in 1943 and 1945 and won a league title in nine of his 20 seasons (1941, 1942, 1945, 1947, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1957) a remarkable record. To this day, Labruna has played more games for River Plate than anyone (515) and is the leading scorer in the history of the Argentine First Division, striking 293 goals. He also scored 16 times against Boca Juniors in El Superclasico, yet another record held by Angelito. On the international stage, Labruna was robbed of playing in a World Cup during his prime, as the tournament was canceled due to World War II in 1942 and 1946, while Argentina refused to take part in 1950 and 1954.

He did, however, lift the Copa America in 1946 and 1955 before finally playing in the World Cup at Sweden 1958 at the age of 40. 5. Gabriel Omar Batistuta World Cup Experience: 1994, 1998, 2002 Clubs: Newell’s Old Boys, Deportivo Italia River Plate, Boca Juniors, Fiorentina, Roma, Inter Milan, Al Arabi Gabriel “Batigol” Batistuta is the highest scorer in the history of the Argentine National, Team netting a remarkable 56 goals in 78 games, including 10 in World Cups. Born in the Santa Fe Province, Bati started off at Newell’s Old Boys of Rosario before making the jump to River Plate, where he won the Argentine Primera Division in 1990. However, his less than stellar relationship with River manager Daniel Passarella saw him do the unthinkable: move to River’s arch-rivals Boca Juniors.

His stellar performances earned him a call up to the National Team under Alfio Basile for the 1991 Copa America in Chile, where he was the tournament’s leading scorer with six goals as Argentina claimed the title. Two years later, Argentina won the Copa America again, thanks to a double from Batistuta in the Final against Mexico. At USA 1994, Bati made his first appearance in a World Cup and Argentina began as one of the favorites, after Diego Maradona returned to the National Team. Batistuta scored a hat-trick in the opener against Greece and Argentina looked set to make a run deep into the tournament before Maradona’s doping test came out positive, crushing the spirit of the team and leading to a second round exit at the hands of Romania. Four years later, Bati was again the main man for Argentina, smashing three goals against Jamaica, making him the only player to score a hat-trick in two different World Cups. He also added goals against Japan and England as Argentina reached the Quarterfinals, where they were undone by a brilliant strike from Dennis Bergkamp.

At the club level, Batistuta is the all time leading scorer for Fiorentina after showing loyalty by staying with the Tuscan outfit for nine seasons despite offers from bigger clubs. Finally, in 2000, in search for the league title that had alluded him for so many years in Florence, he moved to the capital where he signed with Roma and scored 20 goals in leading the Giallorossi to the Scudetto. At the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan, Batistuta and Argentina were again amongst the favorites, but after Bati netted the only goal in a 1-0 over Nigeria, Argentina collapsed against England and Sweden and missed out on the Second Round, ending Bati’s international career in tears. Although he never made it past the quarterfinals of the World Cup, Batistuta will always be remembered for his desire and passion when playing for Argentina and, of course, his record setting scoring record. He now passes time as a polo player back in Argentina.

World Experience: 1974, 1978, 1982 Clubs: Quilmes, Racing, River Plate, Argentinos Juniors, Flamengo, Atletico Madrid, Velez Sarsfield Fillol was born in the Buenos Aires Province and came up through the youth ranks at provincial club Quilmes, where he was quickly recognized as one of the top goalkeepers in Argentina, bringing about a move to Racing Club, one of Argentina’s traditional “Big Five Clubs.” His success at Racing earned El Pato a call up to the National Team and a spot at the 1974 World Cup in West Germany. Although Fillol was not the number one keeper, he started Argentina’s final match, a 1-1 draw against East Germany in the second group phase. After Racing, Fillol moved to River Plate, the biggest club in the country. At the time of his transfer in 1974, River had not won the Argentine Primera Division since 1957, but with a squad that also featured Daniel Passarella and Norberto Alonso, River ended its long title drought by claiming both the Metropolitano and Nacional Titles in 1975.

In 1977, River won the title again as Fillol won the Olimpia de Plata award as the best Argentina player, the first goalkeeper to earn the distinction. However,it was in 1978, during Argentina’s first World Cup triumph that Fillol cemented his legacy as one of the greatest keepers of all time. After beating out Boca Juniors legend Hugo Gatti for the number one jersey, Fillol did not disappoint coach Cesar Luis Menotti, helping Argentina beat Hungary and France in its first two matches before a defeat to Italy for La Seleccion to play their second round matches in Rosario, not in Buenos Aires. Fillol kept a clean sheet in all three matches, pulling off a number of remarkable stops, including a penalty save against Poland. Argentina advanced to the Final against the vaunted Dutch team and their Total Football. Although the goals of Mario Kempes stole the show, it was Fillol who kept his side in the match with a series of spectacular saves to keep his team in the match before Kempes and Daniel Bertoni sealed the victory in extra time. Fillol was rightfully voted the Best Goalkeeper at Argentina 1978.

After the World Cup, Fillol continued his brilliant club form at River, winning league titles in 1978, 1980, and 1981. Unfortunately, like the rest of his teammates, Fillol did not take his best form to Spain 1982 and Argentina, who had begun the tournament as favorites, crashed out in the second group phase after losses to Brazil and Italy. Fillol rounded out his career with successful stints in Brazil with Flamengo and in Spain with Atletico Madrid before returning to Argentina and playing for Racing and Velez Sarsfield. El Pato will always be remembered for his success with River, winning eight titles, and of course the 1978 World Cup, but his career can perhaps best be summed up by Maradona who called him: “Simply the greatest goalkeeper I’ve ever seen in my life.” World Cup Experience: 1974, 1978, 1982 Clubs: Instituto, Rosario Central, Valencia, River Plate, Hercules, First Vienna, St.

Polten, Kremser, Fernandez Vial Born in the province of Cordoba, Kempes started his professional career with local club Instituto in 1970 before making the move to one of Argentina’s biggest clubs: Rosario Central. After finishing as the Argentine Primera Division’s top scorer in 1974, he earned a call up to the National Team for West Germany 1974, a World Cup that ended in embarrassment at the hands of the Dutch and where Kempes failed to make the expected impact. In 1976, Kempes again led the Argentine League in goals and earned a transfer to Spain, where he played for Valencia and continued his outstanding form, winning El Pichichi as the top scorer in Spain in 1977 and 1978. The brilliance of Kempes was such that manager Cesar Luis Menotti included him despite stating he would only bring players to the World Cup who plied their trade in Argentina.

As teammate Osvaldo Ardiles put it: “Mario was the exception to this rule because he was deemed indispensable.” After a disappointing first round at Argentina 1978, Menotti dropped Kempes into a more withdrawn position, allowing him to make runs from deep, a tactic that worked to perfection as El Matador carved up the Polish and Peruvians with two goals each before saving his best for last against Holland in the Final. Mario opened the scoring in the final by taking a pass from Leopoldo Luque and finishing coolly past Jan Jongbloed in the Dutch goal. After the Europeans equalized and sent the game to extra time, Kempes gave Argentina the lead with a trademark run in which he skipped past two challenges before lifting the ball over Jongbloed and finishing before two Dutch defenders could clear. Kempes finished with the Golden Boot as the tournament’s top scorer and Golden Ball as the top player. After leading Valencia to the UEFA Cup Winner’s Cup and UEFA Super Cup in 1980, he was the big money signing by River Plate in 1981 in order to counteract Boca Junior’s acquisition of Diego Maradona.

The move paid off, and River Plate, inspired by 15 goals from Kempes, including a free kick against Boca Juniors in La Bombonera, won the title. At Spain 1982, Kempes and Maradona were expected to form the most potent partnership in the World Cup, but it never came off and Argentina went home too early despite having arguably the tournament’s most talented team. World Cup Experience: 1978, 1982, 1986 Clubs: River Plate, Fiorentina, Inter Milan Only one Argentine player can boast a place in both of the country’s World Cup winning sides and that man is Daniel Passarella, “El Kaiser.” Officially, Passarella is the second highest scoring defender of all time and is known well for his aerial ability and ferocious free kicks, but is perhaps best remembered for his leadership and the heart with which he played. In Argentina, Passarella is the defender to which all young stoppers are compared, although no defender since has matched his intelligence or goalscoring prowess, netting a remarkable 24 goals in 1976 and a total of 99 for River Plate.

Passarella won four Argentine Championships with River Plate and was the heart and soul of Argentina’s successful 1978 World Cup winning campaign, commanding the penalty area and threatening the opposition’s goal with his runs forward, finding the back of the net via a penalty against France in the group stage. As the captain, Passarella was the first Argentine to lift the World Cup trophy, an iconic image for the country. El Gran Capitan was one of the few bright spots during Argentina’s ill-fated attempt to repeat as World Champions at Spain 1982. The side entered the tournament as favorites with the bulk of the 1978 squad back and bolstered by the inclusion of Diego Maradona, but the weight and pressure of the war for Las Malvinas taking place back home was too much to handle and Argentina crashed out to Brazil and Italy during the second group stage, but not before El Kaiser smashed home a brilliant long range free kick against the eventual champions, Italy, and legendary goalkeeper Dino Zoff. He had managed a goal earlier in the tournament against El Salvador. After the disappointment, Passarella moved to Italy, where he enjoyed an extremely successful spell at Fiorentina and later at Inter.

Before the 1986 tournament, new coach Carlos Bilardo took the captaincy from Passarella and gave it to Maradona, beginning what would become a long time feud between the two. Eventually, Passarella withdrew from the tournament due to “illness,” it has been well documented that the River Plate legend left due to his feud with El Diez. Later, Passarella coached the Argentine National Team to the quarterfinals of France 1998, but has continued to butt heads with Maradona to this day. Despite their rocky relationship (to say the least), Maradona had this to say about Passarella in his autobiography: “The best defender I ever saw in my life…The best at heading the ball, and at both ends, something that Argentine football is missing these days.

What goes on between us off the pitch has nothing to do with what I think of him as a footballer.” World Cup Experience: 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994 Clubs: Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla, Newell’s Old Boys By the time Diego Maradona made his debut at the age of 15 for Buenos Aires side Argentinos Juniors in 1976, there were already rumors that something special was on the horizon at El Paternal, but nobody could have projected the sheer greatness that ensued. At the age of just 16, El Pibe de Oro made his debut for the National Team, and at 17 he led the Argentina Primera with 22 goals in 1978. His sensational form earned him a call up to a preliminary list of 25 for Argentina’s 1978 World Cup side, but coach Cesar Luis Menotti decided that Maradona was too young, and the young Diego was one of the three players cut before the start of the tournament.

“At that point, when I was left out of the final squad of twenty-two, I realized that anger was a fuel for me. It really got me revved up. I played best when I was after revenge,” Maradona recounted years later. Inspired by the disappointment of missing out on Argentina’s first World Cup title, Maradona led the Argentine First Division in scoring for five straight seasons, before making the move to Boca Juniors. El Diez arrived at Boca and promptly lifted them to the title in his only season, netting 28 goals and securing a then world record transfer fee of 1 million dollars to FC Barcelona. At Spain 1982, Maradona and Argentina succumbed to the pressure of having to deal with the label of favorites and the realization that their country was losing the war for Las Malvinas, as the government had reported that Argentina were indeed winning the war. Although Maradona did play well and scored two goals in the group stage, he was man-marked by Claudio Gentile in a loss to Italy before losing his cool and kicking Batista in the groin, resulting in a red card and an abrupt end to his first World Cup.

At Barcelona, Maradona provided many highlights on the pitch, but off it he lived a wild life and clashed with club directors. A spell of hepatitis was followed by a broken leg thanks to a rash tackle at the hands of Andoni Goikoetxea, who Maradona dubbed the “Butcher of Bilbao.” In 1984, Maradona left Barcelona to join Napoli for another world record transfer fee (he remains the only man to twice break the world record in transfer fees) where he found himself idling near the bottom of Serie A. Thanks to Maradona, Napoli became one of the giants of the European game. What makes Maradona’s success at Napoli so remarkable is that the club has never come close to replicating its success under El Diez before or after his presence. This is all the more impressive because, at a time Serie A was the best league in the world, with the likes of Platini, Matthaus, Baggio, Maldini, Donadoni, Zenga and many more. But with Maradona, Napoli became the first club to win the “double” by claiming the Scudetto and Copa Italia in 1987, the first such trophies in club history.

In 1989, Maradona lifted the UEFA Cup knocking out Bayern Munich, Juventus, and Stuttgart on the way to the title. In 1990, Napoli won their second Scudetto and the Italian Super Cup, their last trophy to date. As spectacular as Maradona was at Napoli, his greatest achievement came at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico where he tormented each opponent on the way to the title and won the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player. His two goals against England will live on in history as his defining moment and, arguably, the defining moment in World Cup history. Four years later, Maradona and Argentina were far from their best but reached the Final thanks to a series of improbable results, including a win over hosts Italy in Napoli’s stadium and a victory over Brazil thanks to a trademark Maradona run and pass to Claudio Caniggia. After Italia 1990, Maradona found himself suspended by FIFA after failing an anti-doping test and, although he made comebacks with Sevilla, Newell’s Old Boys, and Boca, his best years were behind him.

That was until the 1994 World Cup in the USA, where Maradona and Argentina were the best team of the group stage, before El Diego failed another anti-doping test, prompting questions of a vendetta against him. Now, 16 years after leaving the World Cup in disgrace, Maradona is back on the biggest stage as Argentina’s manager and can boast one of the tournament’s most talented teams with the likes of Lionel Messi, Javier Mascherano, Gonzalo Higuain, and Diego Milito. No one will be surprised if Maradona is laughing, finally gaining revenge against FIFA for USA 1994 and Italia 1990, when he saw the Final stripped from him after a series of questionable calls in favor of the Germans.

Question: Who played football for Argentina, Colombia and Spain?
Answer: Alfredo Di Stefano