Group B
Manager: Diego Maradona
Star Player: Lionel Messi
World Cup Appearances: 14
June 12, 2010 @ 15:00UK
Argentina v Nigeria at Ellis Park Stadium
June 17, 2010 @ 12:30UK
Argentina v South Korea at Soccer City Stadium
June 22, 2010 @ 19:30UK
Greece v Argentina at Peter Mokaba Stadium
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Argentina made heavy weather of their qualification in their tough South America World Cup group. The two-time World Cup winners needed a late Mario Bolatti's late goal to beat Uruguay in their last group game to qualify for South Africa. National coach Diego Maradona has been criticised for his selections and tactics but he has delivered what he has promised - sending Argentina to the World Cup.
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A 30-man squad was announced on May 12 and the final squad of 23 has to be submitted to FIFA by June 1
- Mariano Andujar Goalkeeper 1.94m 87 kg July 30, 1983
- Diego Pozo Goalkeeper 1.90m 86 kg February 16, 1978
- Sergio Romero Goalkeeper 1.92m 83 kg July 22, 1987
- Nicolas Burdisso Defender 1.82m 81 kg April 12, 1981
- Fabricio Coloccini Defender 1.83m 78 kg January 22, 1982
- Ariel Garcé Defender 1.77m 71 kg July 14, 1979
- Gabriel Heinze Defender 1.78m 72 kg March 19, 1978
- Juan Insaurralde Defender 1.88m 85 kg October 3, 1984
- Nicolás Otamendi Defender 1.78m 75 kg February 12, 1988
- Clemente Rodriguez Defender 1.67m 65 kg July 31, 1981
- Walter Samuel Defender 1.83m 83 kg March 22, 1978
- Sebastián Blanco Midfielder 1.68m 64 kg March 15, 1988
- Mario Bolatti Midfielder 1.89m 81 kg February 17, 1985
- Jesús Dátolo Midfielder 1.77m 67 kg May 19, 1984
- Martin Gaston Demichelis Midfielder 1.84m 78 kg December 20, 1980
- Ángel Di María Midfielder 1.78m 75 kg February 14, 1988
- Jonás Gutiérrez Midfielder 1.83m 73 kg July 5, 1983
- Javier Mascherano Midfielder 1.78m 77 kg June 8, 1984
- Juan Mercier Midfielder 1.81m 78 kg February 2, 1980
- Javier Pastore Midfielder 1.87m 78 kg June 20, 1989
- Maxi Rodríguez Midfielder 1.80m 79 kg January 2, 1981
- José Ernesto Sosa Midfielder 1.79m 71 kg June 19, 1985
- Juan Sebastian Veron Midfielder 1.85m 80 kg March 9, 1975
- Sergio Aguero Forward 1.70m 69 kg June 2, 1988
- Alberto Diego Milito Forward 1.79m 78 kg June 12, 1979
- Gonzalo Higuaín Forward 1.84m 75 kg December 10, 1987
- Ezequiel Lavezzi Forward 1.73m 75 kg May 3, 1985
- Lionel Messi Forward 1.69m 67 kg June 24, 1987
- Mart¡n Palermo Forward 1.88m 84 kg November 7, 1973
- Carlos Tevez Forward 1.68m 67 kg February 5, 1984
Team Profile: Argentina
Appearances at finals
1930 - Runners-up
1934 - First round
1958 - First round
1962 - First round
1966 - Quarter-finals
1974 - Second group stage
1978 - Winners
1982 - Second group stage
1986 - Winners
1990 - Runners-up
1994 - Second round
1998 - Quarter-finals
2002 - First round
2006 - Quarter-finals
Overall record at finals: Played 65, Won 33, Drawn 13, Lost 19.
Best performance: Winners in 1978 and 1986.
Most appearances at finals: Diego Maradona (1982, 1986, 1990, 1994) - 21.
Most goals at finals: Gabriel Batistuta (1994, 1998, 2002) - 9.
World Cup high: Diego Maradona scoring a thrilling solo goal against England in the quarter-finals at the Mexico 86 World Cup.
World Cup low: Losing 6-1 against Czechoslovakia in Sweden 58.
World Cup legend: Diego Maradona. He scored five goals and was the indisputable star of the Mexico 86 tournament.
The story so far: In 1930, Argentina reached the first World Cup final, which ended in a victory for Uruguay, the tournament hosts. The Argentine national team have also topped the football world twice. In 1978, playing at home, the squad coached by Cesar Menotti and led by Mario Kempes defeated Holland in extra-time to clinch their first World Cup.
Eight years later, Diego Maradona played at his absolute peak and took Carlos Bilardo's team to the title in Mexico after defeating Germany in the final. Argentina also reached the final in 1990, when Germany avenged their loss at Aztec Stadium four years earlier and defeated Argentina 1-0 in Rome.
Argentina have failed to qualify only once, after being defeated in the qualifiers in 1970. They have refused to participate in three other World Cups for political reasons but since 1974 they have played in every World Cup, and they have been eliminated in the first round only once, in 2002.
Qualification: The road to South Africa was filled with pitfalls for the two-time champions. Argentina only qualified following the very last game of the tournament, after defeating Uruguay 1-0 in Montevideo, where they had not won since 1976. After their defeat against Chile in the tenth game, coach Alfio Basile quit and Diego Maradona took over.
Under his watch, the team failed to meet expectations and they were pummelled 6-1 by Bolivia in La Paz. However, history weighed heavier in the last two games, and victories against Peru and Uruguay were enough to reach the World Cup. Many people in Argentina dream about repeating the epic 1986 campaign in which the team made it to the World Cup after a turbulent qualifying campaign and went on to become world champions.
Qualifying record: P18, W8, D4, L6, F23, A20, Pts28.
Most appearances: Lionel Messi (18).
Top goalscorers: Sergio Agüero, Lionel Messi, Juan Román Riquelme (4).
Chances:
Qualification was a bumpy ride in the extreme and included a 6-1 hammering by Bolivia, but if Maradona can get the balance right between motivator and tactician then Argentina are equipped to reach the semi-finals, or even win it.
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