As the world cup kicks off on November 20. 2022, the excitement and euphoria of the tournament are all around. Football fans everywhere are waiting to experience the thrill of the game.
Argentina exited the world cup in Round 16 after suffering a heartbreaking 4-3 loss to eventual champions, France. The latter was far from its dominant best during the 2018 World Cup yet managed to emerge victorious. Now, the South Americans will hope to make significant strides in Qatar.
With seven goals each from Lionel Messi and Lautaro Martinez, they finished second in their qualifying group without losing a game, six points behind Brazil. However, more importantly, they won their first Copa América in ten years in 2021, defeating their fiercest rivals thanks to an Angel Di Mara goal – he will be playing at the World Cup in Qatar.
In what follows, we take a look at the Argentinian footballers who have played for Chelsea.
1. Gonzalo Higuain
Higuain rejoined manager Maurizio Sarri, whom he had previously worked with at Napoli, when he was recruited on loan by Chelsea on January 23. 2019, for the duration of the 2018–19 campaign. He made his debut in a 3-0 victory over Sheffield Wednesday at Stamford Bridge five days later in the FA Cup’s fourth round.
He made his league debut on January 30 in a 4-0 road loss to AFC Bournemouth. He scored a brace on February 2 in a 5-0 home victory over Huddersfield Town, his first goal for Chelsea.
Higuain played in the 2018 world cup feature, which saw Argentina eliminated by France. Despite his talent, he only managed to score a goal in the group stage fixtures.
2. Willy Caballero
Caballero joined league champion, Chelsea, on a free transfer on July 1. 2017. On September 20, he made his professional debut in a 5-1 League Cup victory at home against Nottingham Forest. Caballero was an unused replacement in the 2021 UEFA Champions League final, in which Chelsea defeated his earlier team Manchester City.
In a lengthy piece published on June 4, 2021, Chelsea praised him for his contributions to the squad and stated he would leave the team at the end of the month when his contract expired.
Caballero was a member of the final roster for the Russia 2018 FIFA World Cup. Sergio Romero’s injury forced him into the tournament’s starting lineup, and he made his competitive debut on June 16 against Iceland in a 1-1 group stage draw. Additionally, he did not play in the Round of 16 matches.
3. Franco Di Santo
Di Santo made his Chelsea reserve team debut in February 2008, scoring a late winner in a 2-2 draw with Fulham reserves. He continued as he scored his first goal. Against Reading Reserves on March 3, he scored the second brace. Chelsea won the World Football Challenge with a score of 2-0.
In a match against the French under-20s in 2006, Di Santo made his first appearance for the Argentina under-20 squad and scored his first goal. In the 30-man preliminary roster for the FIFA World Cup 2014 in Brazil, Di Santo was also called to the Argentina national squad in May 2014. He was dubbed an “unexpected inclusion” by BBC Sport. He was, however, one of four players who were dropped from a second perspective 26-man team later that month.
4. Juan Sebastian Veron
Veron played for Chelsea in the 2003/2004 season. He played in the centre midfield, where he made seven appearances and scored a goal. The Argentinian International made 72 appearances for Argentina and scored nine goals in total.
To conclude
As the 2022 world cup starts in a few months in Qatar, the Argentinian team looks prepared for the tournament with the current set of players in their disposition. They won the Copa America and the UEFA cup of champions, and we look forward to seeing their performance in Qatar.
