FRANCE 98 – Team Detail

In Argentina, football has been hugely popular since the first matches played there between immigrants and English sailors back in 1867.

British teacher, Alexander Watson Hutton, later fouded the English High School, attended by the eight Brown brothers. They formed the backbone of the famous Alumni team, which won the embryonic league championship 10 times in 12 seasons at the start of the century. Alumni gave birth to the quintessentially Argentine playing style based on creativity, inspiration and technical brilliance. More and more clubs emerged, including present day giants Boca Juniors and River Plate, supported by millions of fans.

But, Argentina had to wait more than 70 years before they finally captured the top prize of all. The hour of glory arrived in 1978, when, as hosts, the chain-smoking Cesar Menotti’s side lifted the trophy. A second title followed in Mexico in 1986.

Those title wins were a late homage to the talented side of the 1940s and 1950s which contained Jose Manuel Moreno, then considered as possibly the most gifted player in the world. Moreno and the other talents which fed off him allowed Argentina to dominate South America football. But, the World Cup brought much disappointment with poor showings in Sweden 1958 and Chile 1962, before an over-physical side made a controversial exit in England in 1966. At club level, Argentina had a run of success with the likes of Racing Club, Boca Juniors, Estudiantes, Independiente and Velez Sarsfield winning a clutch of Intercontinental Cups.

The 80s were dominated by the arrival on the scene of the greatest Argentine player ever, Diego Armando Maradona. Maradona propelled his country to success in the under-20 world championship in Japan in 1979, then starred as Argentina won the 1986 World Cup in Mexico but then lost the 1990 final in Italy. He was sent home in disgrace from the 1994 tournament in the United-States after being caught doping.