Throughout history, several Argentine soccer players have managed to export their talent to Brazil. However, only a few have been able to remain in history. Next, we will take a look at the 10 players from Argentina who stood out the most in Brazilian soccer.
Honorable mentions:
- Walter Montillo (Cruzeiro/Santos)
- Luis Artime (Palmeiras)
- Jonathan Calleri (São Paulo)
- Sebastian Saja (Grêmio)
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10. Ubaldo Fillol (Flamengo)
The Argentine goalkeeper who shone in the 1978 World Cup arrived at Mengão in November 1983 and stayed there until 1985, when he joined Atlético de Madrid at the age of 35. Ubaldo Fillol, commonly known as “El Pato”, was a Taça Guanabara champion with Flamengo.
9. Agustin Cejas (Santos/Grêmio)
The goalkeeper who made Racing Club history stood out at Santos, a club he joined in 1970 after having won both the Copa Libertadores and the Intercontinental Cup with “Academia” in 1967. During his time with “Peixe”, Agustín Cejas won the 1973 Paulista Championship. Two years later, he joined Gremio, where he played for one season.
8. Juan Pablo Sorin (Cruzeiro)
The left-back had three spells with the Belo Horizonte team, and was forever in the hearts of the fans. Juan Pablo Sorín arrived at Cruzeiro in 2000, from River Plate, and in that first cycle he won four titles: a Brazil Cup (2000), two Sul-Minas Cups (2001 and 2002) and a Mineiro Super Championship (2002). . After several seasons on loan in Europe, he returned to the club in 2004, but was soon transferred to Villarreal. In 2009, Sorin returned to Cruzeiro, where he retired after winning another state title.
7. Narciso Doval (Flamengo/Fluminense)
Narciso Doval had an unprecedented impact for an Argentine player in Brazilian soccer. After having shone in San Lorenzo, Tim took him to Flamengo in 1969. Although he started well, he returned to his country in 1971 after not accepting the conditions of the then Mengão coach, Yustich. However, “El Loco” had a fascinating return the following year and was a scorer in three consecutive seasons. Doval reached high levels of popularity, being nicknamed “White Pelé” and “El otro”, when O Rei was called “El”. He formed the town duo with Zico and won state tournaments on multiple occasions. Even so, in 1975 he was surprisingly transferred to Fluminense. Already nationalized Brazilian and distinguished as an Honorary Citizen of Rio de Janeiro, Doval maintained his excellent level with the colors of Flu.
6. Pablo Guiñazú (International/Vasco)
Pablo Guiñazú arrived in Porto Alegre from Libertad in 2007 with an already extensive career behind him, and he spent memorable years with Inter as he participated in the 2008 Copa Sudamericana, 2010 Copa Libertadores and 2011 Recopa Sudamericana wins. He returned to Paraguay in 2013, but only six months later he returned to Brazil to join Vasco da Gama. He was key in the return to first division in 2014, but the following year the club was relegated again.
5. Walter Kannemann (Grêmio)
Walter Kannemann earned the affection of the fans in Porto Alegre based on sacrifice and temperament in defense. The Argentine formed a formidable duo with Pedro Geromel, which resulted in three unforgettable titles for the institution: the Copa Libertadores and the Copa do Brasil in 2017, as well as the Recopa Sudamericana 2018.
4. German Cano (Vasco/Fluminense)
Despite having landed in Brazilian football at the age of 31, for Germán Cano age was not an obstacle to making history. After two fantastic seasons at Vasco, where he scored 43 goals in 101 games, Fluminense signed him in 2022 and he soon realized that it was an excellent decision. Cano had a brutal impact in Rio de Janeiro, breaking all kinds of records in just one season. After having scored a hat-trick in the final of the Carioca Championship against Flamengo, the veteran Argentine forward became the first foreigner to be the top scorer in both national tournaments in the same season: in 2022, Cano was the goalscorer for the Brasileirão with 26 cries and the one from the Brazil Cup with five goals. With 44 goals, he was the second highest scorer in the world, only behind Kylian Mbappé.
3. Carlos Tevez (Corinthians)
Having noticed his evolution at Boca Juniors, Corinthians made a big investment for Carlos Tevez in 2005, and the Argentine did not disappoint. With 20 goals, “Apache” played a key role in the conquest of the Brasileirão that same year and was chosen as the best player on the continent by the newspaper El País.
2. Dario Conca (Vasco/Fluminense/Flamengo)
Without many opportunities in his country, Dario Conca managed to build a great career in Brazilian soccer. After a great season at Vasco da Gama in 2007, the following year he attracted the interest of Fluminense, where he soon became a symbol of the club. He was close to leading the club to its first Copa Libertadores in 2008, but his high point came in 2010, when he shone for the Flu’s consecration in the Brazilian league. His high level in Rio de Janeiro led to requests from Argentina for his call-up to the national team, and in 2011, he went to Chinese football with one of the best contracts in the world. Although he had a second spell at Fluminense, in 2017 he took everyone by surprise by signing for Flamengo, where he spent just one year.
1. Andres D’Alessandro (International)
Without a doubt, one of the most successful Argentines in Brazilian soccer was Andrés D’Alessandro. The talented playmaker became an emblem of Internacional, where he won the 2008 Copa Sudamericana, the 2010 Copa Libertadores and the 2011 Recopa Sudamericana, as well as several state titles. In 2022, he returned to Porto Alegre to retire with the club of his love, with which he played a total of 509 games, with 94 goals and 79 assists.
At the end of the day, it’s always hard to leave some footballers out, but these names made their mark in Brazil. Do you match this list?
