Famous Argentine Men

Considered one of the best football players in the world and a prolific goal scorer, Lionel Messi has shattered and created numerous records in his playing career. Regarded by another soccer legend, Diego Maradona, as his successor, the Argentinian superstar is also one of the world’s highest paid athletes.

Nicknamed The Golden Boy, Diego Maradona is considered one of the greatest footballers of all time. Thanks to his popularity and controversial personal life, which includes drug abuse issues and addiction to cocaine, Diego Maradona became a world-renowned counterculture icon. He was also an iconic figure in popular culture.

Alfredo Di Stéfano was an Argentine-born Spanish football player and coach. Counted among the greatest football players of all time, Di Stéfano is remembered for his association with Real Madrid, where he played a major role in the club's domination of La Liga and the European Cup during the 1950s. In 2004, he was included in Pele’s FIFA 100 list.

Argentine professional footballer Paulo Dybala currently plays for football club Juventus and the Argentina national team. He plays as a forward and is known for his creative style of play, pace, talent, and technique. Revered for his playing skills, he is considered one of the world's most valuable players. He loves tattoos and has many on his body. 

Jorge Luis Borges was an Argentine essayist, poet, short-story writer, and translator. An important figure in Spanish-language literature, Jorge Luis Borges' works have contributed immensely to fantasy and the philosophical literature genre. It is also said that his works, which incorporated themes like labyrinths, dreams, and mythology, marked the beginning of 20th-century Latin American literature's magic realist movement.

Ángel Di María is an Argentine football player. An important member of the Argentina national team, Ángel Di María helped Argentina win a gold medal at the 2008 Olympics by scoring the only goal of the gold medal match against Nigeria at the 58th minute of the match. Ángel Di María has also represented Argentina at three FIFA World Cups.

Argentine footballer, Mauro Icard,i plays as a striker for Ligue 1 club, Paris Saint-Germain, and the Argentina national team. He began playing football as a boy and made his senior debut in 2012. He is known for his excellent attacking movement, positioning, and eye for goal. His marriage to a teammate’s ex-wife is a subject of controversy.

Emiliano Sala was an Argentine football player who played for prominent French clubs like Bordeaux and Nantes. He was renowned for his powerful strike and eye for goal. In 2019, he was included in the Nantes Team of the Decade. Emiliano Sala died in a plane crash on 21 January 2019. His body was recovered four days after the crash.

Javier Zanetti is an Argentine retired professional football player. He is best known for his contribution to Inter Milan's successful 2009–10 season, during which the club achieved a treble. Counted among the greatest players of his generation, Javier Zanetti also helped his national football team win a silver medal at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.

Diego Simeone is an Argentine former football player who was part of the silver medal-winning team at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. An important player for his country, Simeone also represented Argentina at the 1994, 1998, and 2002 World Cups. Simeone also won two Copa América titles for Argentina. He is currently serving as the coach of Atlético Madrid.

Renowned football manager and the current head coach of Leeds United, Marcelo Bielsa is best known for remarkably improving the performance of the players he coaches. As a manager, his high point arrived when he helped the Argentinean national team bag the 2004 Olympics gold medal and later guided the Chile’s national team to qualify for the 2010 world cup.

Nicolás Otamendi is an Argentine football player best known for helping his national team win the 2021 Copa América in Brazil. He has also represented Argentina at two FIFA World Cups. Nicolás Otamendi has also helped Manchester City win two Premier League titles and one FA Cup. He has also won three successive Primeira Liga with Porto.

Juan Manuel Fangio was an Argentine race car driver who dominated the first 10 years of Formula One racing. He won the World Drivers' Championship on five occasions, a record which was broken by Michael Schumacher after 46 years. Juan Manuel Fangio is also the only Argentine racer to have won the prestigious Argentine Grand Prix.

Juan Pablo Di Pace is an Argentine singer and actor best known for his portrayal of Jesus Christ in the American biblical drama television series A.D. The Bible Continues, which earned him a couple of MovieGuide Awards in 2016. Juan Pablo Di Pace is also renowned for his theatre work in the UK and Spain.

Juan Martín del Potro is an Argentine tennis player best known for winning the 2009 US Open after defeating Roger Federer in the final. He also helped his team win the prestigious Davis Cup in 2016. One of the greatest Argentine players of all time, Juan Martín del Potro also won Olympic bronze and silver in 2012 and 2016 respectively. 

Daniel Barenboim is a pianist and conductor currently serving as the general music director of the Berlin State Opera and the Staatskapelle Berlin. He has previously been the music director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestre de Paris, and La Scala in Milan. He is a recipient of Spain's Prince of Asturias Concord Award among others.

Juan Román Riquelme is an Argentine former football player best known for his association with Boca Juniors, winning 10 titles for the club. Counted among the greatest Argentine players ever, Riquelme led his team at the 2008 Olympics where they won the gold medal. Juan Román Riquelme is also widely regarded as one of the best midfielders of his generation.

José de San Martín was an Argentine general who played an important role in the Spanish American wars of independence. San Martín is considered a national hero of Peru and Argentina. The Order of the Liberator General San Martín, the highest honor conferred by the government of Argentina, was created in his honor.

Pope Francis is the sovereign of the Vatican City and head of the Catholic Church. He is the first Jesuit pope and first non-European pope since Pope Gregory III. Often praised for having a comparatively less formal approach, Pope Francis is popular for his humility, international visibility, and concern for the poor.

Julio Cortázar was an Argentine novelist, essayist, and short story writer. Counted among the founders of a literary movement called the Latin American Boom, Cortázar is credited with influencing a generation of Spanish-speaking writers and readers in Europe and America. He is also regarded as one of the most innovative authors of his time.

René Gerónimo Favaloro was an Argentine educator and cardiac surgeon. He is best remembered for his work on coronary artery bypass surgery. Favaloro is credited with establishing the Favaloro Foundation in an attempt to emulate Cleveland Clinic. He is also credited with founding the Basic Investigation Laboratory, which was financed with his own money.

Néstor Kirchner was an Argentine politician and lawyer best remembered for his service as the President of Argentina from 25 May 2003 to 10 December 2007. He also served as the Governor of Santa Cruz from 1991 to 2003. Kirchner, who had a great impact on Argentine politics, played a key role in the economic and foreign policies of Argentina.

Alberto Ammann is an Argentine actor renowned for his versatality. He has played a variety of roles in television, films, and theater. His portrayal of Juan in the 2009 prison film Cell 211 earned him the prestigious Goya Award under the Best New Actor category. Ammann is also known for portraying Pacho Herrera in the popular crime drama series Narcos.

Korean-origin Argentine-Australian actor Leonardo Nam is best remembered for his role as Morimoto in The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. In his initial days in New York, he worked in bars and slept on pavements, before bagging his breakthrough role in The Perfect Score.

Gustavo Cerati was one of the finest South American singers and one of the pioneers of Ibero-American rock. He headed the popular pop-rock trio Soda Stereo and later also penned lyrics and recorded for artists such as Shakira. He died at age 55, after a stroke and a 4-year coma.

Part of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, legendary Argentine tennis player Guillermo Vilas is a former world number 1 in singles. His wins include 2 Australian Open titles, 1 French Open, and 1 US Open. The 2020 Netflix documentary Guillermo Vilas: Settling the Score was based on his life.

Legendary Argentine rockstar Gustavo Santaolalla started his career as the founder of the band Arco Iris. He is also an Academy Award-winning film composer and has composed for iconic movies such as Brokeback Mountain, Babel, and The Motorcycle Diaries. He has also been named to the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame.