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Argentina is a country with great football heritage. Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona, considered to be two of the greatest footballers of all time, belong to the great South American nation. Argentina's storied footballing rivalry with Brazil has been etched into the very fabric of the sport.
Even today, Argentina continues to produce some wonderful players. They have consistently had world-class talent representing them on the international stage. After an extensive unsuccessful spell on the international circuit, Argentina won the Copa America last year after a gap of 28 years.
'La Albiceleste' are once again looking formidable and will fancy their chances in the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Without further ado, let's take a look at five of the best Argentine players in the world right now.
#5 Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa)
Argentina's current first-choice goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez is quite a character. He is also quite the goalkeeper. The 29-year-old who is currently at Aston Villa had been at Arsenal since 2010. He broke onto the senior setup in 2012 but spent most of his time away on loan at various clubs.
But he made a name for himself during the 2019-20 season whilst filling in for an injured Bernd Leno.
Despite impressing immensely, he left the Gunners in the summer of 2020 for Aston Villa. Martinez has now established himself as one of the best shot-stoppers in the league.
He is a confident and commanding presence in the area and is quite vocal when it comes to rallying his troops. Martinez has made as many as 23 high claims in the Premier League this term.
Martinez produced some great performances, including a heroic shootout performance in the semi-finals to beat Colombia. The Aston Villa goalkeeper hasn't been at his very best this season and went through a difficult period in between. But he seems to be slowly getting back to his best once again.
In 27 appearances in the Premier League this term, Martinez has managed to keep nine clean sheets. He has also saved one penalty.
#4 Paulo Dybala (Juventus)
After an extremely underwhelming 2020-21 season, Paulo Dybala was tipped to leave Juventus last summer. But Massimiliano Allegri's return in the capacity of head coach got him to stay put at the club. The duo had enjoyed great success together in Allegri's first stint as Juventus manager.
However, despite the Italian manager's return, the Bianconeri have a lot of work to do to get back to their best and don't look like a cohesive unit at the moment.
Dybala has been a rare bright spot for Juventus this season. The 28-year-old has scored 12 goals and provided six assists in 28 appearances across all competitions for Max Allegri's side this term.
Dybala's creativity is very important to Juventus but his injury issues are starting to become a real point of bother for them. Without him in the team, Juventus look bereft of ideas going forward. However, they might not be ready to shoulder his exorbitant wages beyond the end of the season due to his niggling fitness and injury issues.
#3 Angel Correa (Atletico Madrid)
Atletico Madrid are yet another top European side that have underperformed this season. It's quite baffling because they had just won the La Liga title last season and have a squad that's packed to the brim with world-class players.
Their attacking depth is also so incredible that a player of Angel Correa's talent is not a guaranteed starter. In fact, Correa has started just 18 La Liga games this term and has come off the bench in 10. He has started just three Champions League games and came on as a substitute in five.
Correa is a quick, agile and technically gifted forward who loves wriggling his way through tight spaces. His link-up play with the likes of Luis Suarez and Antoine Griezmann is a treat to watch as well and the 27-year-old has scored some crucial goals for the Rojiblancos this term.
In 39 appearances across all competitions for Atletico Madrid this season, Correa has scored 12 goals and provided six assists.
#2 Lionel Messi (Paris Saint-Germain)
Lionel Messi is arguably having one of the worst seasons of his career. It says a lot about the standards he has set for himself that he is second on this list despite underperforming. Messi is arguably the greatest footballer of all time. He picked up a record seventh Ballon d'Or in 2021.
Messi joined Paris Saint-Germain last summer but it hasn't been easy going for him in the French domestic league as expected. The 34-year-old, who has been a prolific goalscorer all his life, has struggled to find goals this season. Messi has scored just two goals in 18 Ligue 1 appearances so far this term.
In 26 appearances across all competitions for PSG, he has scored seven goals and provided 11 assists. He failed to inspire PSG to a win over Real Madrid in the Champions League Round of 16 and was accused of letting the match pass by him.
Messi and his teammate Neymar were recently booed by PSG supporters in the game against Bordeaux, which came on the back of their exit from the Champions League.
#1 Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan)
One of Argentina's biggest strengths right now is their star striker Lautaro Martinez, who has become a reliable goalscorer for both club and country in recent times. The 24-year-old played a starring role in Inter Milan's Serie A triumph last season.
Martinez has tapped into that same vein this season and has played a huge role in the Nerazzurri's title charge this term as well. He has scored 16 goals and provided two assists in 38 appearances across all competitions this season.
Martinez has become one of the most sought-after young centre-forwards in the world right now. Lionel Scaloni will be hoping that his first-choice striker will be able to carry this momentum into the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
