After finishing runners-up in both the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Copa America, as well as having performed well in the qualification phases for next year’s World Cup, Argentina now sit top of the FIFA World Rankings, above the likes of Brazil and Germany, on 1644 points.
They are a nation renowned for churning out world class talent and have produced the likes of Lionel Messi and Sergio Aguero among others over the years.
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The strength of the first team may be paramount when it comes to big tournaments, but it means that some great players get overlooked on the international stage and even forgotten altogether. There are countless top Argentines in every position on the field and here we take a look at five in particular who are severely underrated...
#5 Lucas Pratto
Now plying his trade for São Paulo in Brazil, the 28-year-old Lucas Pratto was only handed his first international cap in August last year, a testament to how overlooked his talents have been. He was subsequently included in the squad for the 2018 World Cup qualifiers against Uruguay and Venezuela and has since played five matches for his country, scoring on two separate occasions, both in competitive qualifiers.
Domestically he’s been sharp too; he scored 13 goals in his debut season for Atletico Mineiro in Brazil in 2015/16 and is one of the most sought after talents on the continent. Tall, strong and quick, he is capable of playing on the flank or through the centre and such versatility would undoubtedly earn him the critical claim he deserves if he were to play for a club in Europe.
#4 Lucas Biglia
It’s strange that such a prominent personality on the pitch can be so unrecognised off of it. Current Lazio captain Lucas Biglia is adept in doing the unseen work at the heart of midfield both domestically and internationally. He has just shy of 50 caps for his country and made regular appearances in the 2014 World Cup.
The fact that Biglia spent the majority of his career in the Belgian League with Anderlecht, where he made over 200 appearances, may be the reason why few acknowledge his talents but there’s no doubt he can perform consistently at the highest level, something he has proven in Serie A and with Argentina.
In the Italian top flight this term, Biglia has already made 38 interceptions and there have been four occasions where he’s had the most amount of ball possession in the game than any other player. No club can survive without a Biglia-like character anchoring down their midfield and the Argentinian is one of the best at it.
#3 Geronimo Rulli
Attracting praise as a goalkeeper is no easy task. The men between the sticks are quickly lambasted for a small blip but seldom praised when they pull off a miraculous stop and this serves as the main reason why football fanatics don’t mention Geronimo Rulli when discussing their favourite Argentines.
Despite this, Rulli has slowly but surely risen to prominence with Real Sociedad in La Liga and has nine clean sheets to his name this campaign, with Squawka Statistics ranking him as the seventh best keeper in the division this term so far.
During his brief spell with Manchester City, Rulli played no games, further evidence that he is overlooked by the big boys. He has since made the move back to Sociedad and the 24-year-old is eager to re-establish himself and earn his first international cap.
#2 Alejandro Gomez
Yet to earn an international cap is Atalanta’s dynamic midfielder Alejandro Gomez. The 29-year-old has shown himself to be a late peaker, having scored 14 goals and made six assists from midfield this term, rendering him the seventh top scorer in Serie A and moulding him into the primary attacking outlet for an in-form Atalanta side at the moment.
There’s no doubting the club would be floating around their usual mid-table position if Gomez had not hit such a fine patch of form and he’s one of the sharpest Argentinian properties in the world right now.
He spent the first five years of his career in his homeland with the likes of Arsenal de Sarandi and San Lorenzo, before moving to Catania in Italy. He spent a season with Metalist Kharkiv in the Ukrainian Premier League before moving to Atalanta and it may once again be due to a lack of top level experience that Gomez is overlooked.
However, with expert dribbling abilities and a fine eye for goal, there’s no doubting that top talent like the Argentinian can be found anywhere.
#1 Federico Fazio
For those of you unfamiliar with leagues outside of your own country, Federico Fazio may be the only name on this list you recognise. The centre-back has played for the likes of Sevilla, Tottenham Hotspur and currently Roma in Serie A.
When one thinks of Argentinian talent, the extensive list of attacking talent is what springs to mind and the defensive aspect of Argentina’s game is certainly the weaker of the two. That said, Fazio has turned himself into one of the most fearsome defenders across the continent, certainly as far as the statistics go.
According to ‘Squawka Statistics’, Fazio has the highest performance score of any other defender in Serie A this term and has made more clearances (231) than any other player. Subsequently, Roma have the second best defence in the league behind Juventus.
Fazio initially struggled to adapt to the tempo of the Premier League when at Tottenham and he was still young and getting to grips with the game at that point; this is perhaps the main reason why the English audience at least have dismissed him.
If they were to cast an eye over at how he’s performing in the Italian capital now, they may change their minds.
