Nowhere else on the South American continent does football have such a long a tradition as it does in Argentina. The south Atlantic country is, so to say, “South America’s mother country of football”. Argentina’s football association, the Asociación del Fútbol Argentino“ (AFA), was founded early on in January 1893, seven years before Uruguay and 21 years before Brazil. However, it took 85 years before the “Albiceleste” – so-called because of their sky-blue and white striped jerseys, were able to write an important chapter in World Cup history.

But at first things didn’t start too badly at all. In Uruguay in 1930, co-favourites Argentina easily reached the final with four victories and a 16:5 goal difference. There they lost 4-2 to the hosts after leading 2-1 at half-time. A 24-year-old, who didn’t even count as a team regular before the tournament, advanced to become the shooting star: Guillermo Stábile. He scored eight goals in becoming the first Golden Boot winner and rose to be Argentina’s first football superstar within the space of two weeks. Stábile played later in Italy and was the “Gauchos” national coach from 1941 to 1957. His activities in the sugar trade made him one of Argentina’s richest men. He died in 1966 as a result of a heart attack.

However, the “Albiceleste” had thereby shot their World Cup bolt for many decades. A total of 14 South America titles (Copa America record holders along with Uruguay) stood in contrast with perennial World Cup absence or failure. Their first game – a 3-2 defeat against Sweden – in Italy in 1934 was also their last one. Argentina then declined to play in the finals in 1938, 1950 and 1954.

It was only in 1958 that the Gauchos re-appeared on the World Cup stage. The appearance was only short-lived. Defeats against Germany and Czechoslovakiameant that they were on their way back home after the group phase. Things weren’t better in neighbouring Chile in 1962. Four years later Argentinawere knocked out by hosts and eventual World Cup winners England. In doing so, they made the news more for terrible fouls than for cultured football.

Argentina’s record would have perhaps been a little different had one of the era’s greatest talents not slipped through their fingers: Alfredo di Stéfano, “La Saeta Rubia” (the blond arrow), who, on hindsight, is rated by quite a few as being on the on the same level as Pelé und Maradona. The great striker and strategist from Buenos Aires, who led Real Madrid to five European Cup wins in succession (1956 - 1960), changed allegiances sides after only six internationals for his home country. He later played for Columbia and Spain. One of best footballers of all-time therefore never played a World Cup match.

Argentina’s lack of World Cup success reached an all time low in 1969 when the “Albiceleste” were eliminated by the great Peruvian team build around Teofilo Cubillas in qualifying for the 1970 finals. At least they reached the second group phase in Germany in 1974.

The golden era for Argentine football began four years later in 1978 at the World Cup in their own country. It is closely connected with one name –  Mario Kempes. In scoring six goals he was the Golden Boot winner and led his team to a 3-1 extra time victory over the Netherlands in the final. However, the first Argentine World Cup triumph was given a bit of a bad aftertaste as a result of Brazilian accusations of match fixing: in the last match of the second group phase Argentina had to beat Peru by four clear goals in order to snatch a place in the final from Brazil. Coach Cesar Luis Menotti’s side won 6-0, but match fixing by the governing military junta was never proved.

Though the World Cup winning team’s framework of Kempes, Osvaldo Ardiles, Daniel Passarella, Alberto Tarantini and Daniel Bertoni was retained, Argentina were knocked out by the eventual winners Italy at the second group phase in Spain in 1982. One of those present was an exceptionally talented 21-year-old that went by the name of Diego Armando Maradona. He was the player that Argentina had to thank above all for their football hegemony in the eighties.

Maradona led the Gauchos to two World Cup finals on the trot. The 1986 tournament in Mexico was, in particular, a demonstration of their strength and superiority. In gaining six wins and one draw, Argentina went unchallenged on their road to winning the title. In the final, even Germany were far more inferior than the 3-2 final score suggests.

Four years later in Italy, the team was past its peak but thanks to its outstanding individuals, the side, who only placed third in the group, again reached the final. One has to mention above all the semi-final victory after penalties against the previously unbeatable looking hosts, Italy. For Maradona, who at the time was playing for SSC Naples, it was a very special triumph but it also marked the beginning of a downturn in his career. The following season in Serie A resembled a running of the gauntlet for the unstable footballing genius, who slipped into a druds quagmire. In the final against Germany, the “Albiceleste” were easily beaten on this occasion – and much easier than the 1-0 scoreline suggests.

Argentina’s bout of World Cup high flying was again already over. A surprise defeat in the last 16 against Rumania (1994) followed, as did a quarter-loss to the Netherlands (1998) and finally there was Batistuta, Veron, Simeone and Co’s embarrassing elimination at the group stage at the FIFA World Cup 2002 ™ in Japan und Südkorea. The Argentines, who have again formed a strong team, want to be in at the shout when the title is presented in 2006.

The Argentina National Team at the FIFA Confederations Cup Germany 2005...