Brazil Argentina and Brazil have a fierce rivalry which is one of the oldest in South America. Matches between the two teams, even those that are only
friendly matches, are often marked by notable and controversial incidents. The rivalry has also been referred to as the "Superclassic of the Americas."
FIFA has described it as the "essence of football rivalry". The rivalry has extended to comparisons between
Pelé and
Diego Maradona. Some of their countrymen also feature regularly in such debates. The next most notable pair are perhaps
Garrincha (Brazil) and
Alfredo Di Stéfano (Argentina). The most dominant figures from the two countries in the modern game are
Neymar (Brazil) and
Lionel Messi (Argentina). Both Pelé and Maradona have declared Neymar and Messi their respective "successors".
England With a rivalry stemming from the
1966 World Cup and intensified by the
Falklands War of 1982, Argentina and
England have had numerous confrontations in World Cup tournaments. Among them was the
quarter-final match in
1986, where Diego Maradona scored two goals against England. The first was
a handball, but was ruled legal by the referee. The second, scored minutes later, saw Maradona passing five England outfield players before scoring, and is often described as one of, if not the greatest goal in football history. The nations were paired together in the round of 16 at the
1998 World Cup, won by Argentina on penalties, and again at the group stage in
2002, with England winning 1–0 through a penalty by
David Beckham who had been sent off in the tie four years earlier.
Germany and
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge prior to the 1986 World Cup final between Argentina and West Germany Argentina has played
Germany in seven
FIFA World Cup matches including three World Cup finals. In
1986 Argentina won 3–2, but in
1990 and
2014 it was the Germans who were the victors by a 1–0 scoreline both times. In
1958 they met for the first time in the group stage, where Argentina suffered a 1–3 loss to
defending champions West Germany. In
1966 both again faced each other in the group stage which ended in a scoreless draw. In 2006, they met in the
quarter-finals; Argentina lost on penalties after a 1–1 draw, which was followed by a brawl on the pitch involving several players. They met again at the
same stage in 2010, this time ending with a 4–0 victory for Germany. They played each other for the third consecutive World Cup in
Brazil 2014's final, where Argentina was defeated
in extra time by a score of 1–0.
Uruguay Argentina has a long-standing rivalry with its neighbour, that came into existence from the early
South American Championships, the
1928 Summer Olympics and the
first World Cup final, held in 1930. Argentina and Uruguay hold the record for most international matches played between two countries. the Argentines and Dutch have developed an intense rivalry. They have met ten times in total, including six times during the World Cup. The two teams first met on 26 May 1974 in an international friendly, won by the Netherlands 4–1. Their most high-profile matchup occurred in the
1978 World Cup final which was won by Argentina. One of the most recent and intense meetings happened in the
2022 World Cup, a 2–2 draw where Argentina advanced on penalties, in what is known as the
Battle of Lusail.
Mexico Argentina has a minor rivalry with Mexico, which developed in the 1990s. The rivalry is considered one-sided as Argentines do not consider Mexico as rivals. Although the first official match between both nations came in the
1930 World Cup where Argentina beat Mexico 6–3 in the
group stage, the rivalry emerged during the late twentieth century, especially after the
1993 Copa América final, where Argentina beat Mexico 2–1. That was the first time a non-
CONMEBOL nation played in a Copa América final, and the first final played between both sides. The rivalry has continued in club competitions, where Argentina and Mexico first met in
1968 Copa Interamericana. The rivalry between both nations at club level increased during the late 1990s, when Mexican clubs were invited to participate in the
Copa Libertadores, where they played memorable matches against
Boca Juniors. During the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, some Mexican and Argentine fans had a fight in
Doha prior to the match between both sides, among great animosity. Both supporters fought again inside
Lusail Stadium after the match that Argentina won 2–0, giving Argentina a chance to qualify and forcing Mexico to win against
Saudi Arabia to qualify, which ended with Argentina and
Poland qualifying and Mexico being eliminated alongside Saudi Arabia. This sense of rivalry is more keenly felt by Mexican supporters and media, since Argentines do not consider Mexico rivals like Brazil, Germany, Uruguay or England. ==Honours==