Argentina fell to Saudi Arabia after 36 games and was left with no records

Argentina had a historic opportunity: to reach the world record of 37 consecutive games without losing. But the mark remains that of Italy, which reached it between October 2018 and October 2021. The national team lost 2-1 against Saudi Arabia and remained in goal, with 25 wins and 11 draws.

Argentina had not lost since June 2019, when Brazil won 2-0 in the semi-finals of the 2019 Copa América. They then beat Chile 2-1 in the third-place match and have since also won the 2021 Copa América, the Cup of the Champions against Italy and easy qualification for the World Cup in Qatar. With the Saudis he staked everything and was left with nothing.

The world record is still held by Roberto Mancini’s Italy. Yes, selected that is not in the current competition. The last European champion built his reign from 2018 to 2021, with a series of 30 wins and seven draws, with 93 goals in favor and only 12 conceded.

The first record that La Scaloneta left behind was the one achieved by the Argentine team led by Alfio Basile, who went 31 games without defeat between 1991 and 1993. Along the way they won the Copa América in Chile and two years then it was repeated in Ecuador; also the King Fahd Cup, later recognized by FIFA as the Confederations Cup. Game 31 was on August 8, 1993, when they beat Paraguay 3-1 in Asunción. They had gone over 18 wins and 13 draws.

After the sign of Coco Basile’s team, it was Brazil that managed to overcome it, completing 35 matches without losing, with 29 wins and 6 draws, between 1993 and 1996. At the same time, France and Spain also had great series consecutive. Galo’s national team went 30 matches without losing (W20 and D10) between 1994 and 1996, while Spain completed 31 matches (W20 and D11) between 1994 and 1997.

In the 21st century, two new streaks relegated the undefeated Argentine in Coco Basile’s first cycle to fourth. First the great Spain of Vicente del Bosque, who before becoming world champion in South Africa in 2010 played 35 games without losing (32 wins and 3 draws) between 2007 and 2009. Then, 37 for Italy and 36 della Scaloneta, which finished on its debut in the World Cup.

The undefeated of the Selection, from first to last

• 2-1 v Chile (3rd place Copa América 2019)
• 0-0 vs Chile (friendly) 4-0 vs. Mexico (friendly)
• 2-2 vs. Germany (friendly) 6-1 vs. Ecuador (friendly)
• 1-0 v Brazil (friendly)
• 2-2 v Uruguay (friendly)
• 1-0 v Ecuador (qualifying)
• 2-1 v Bolivia (qualifying)
• 1-1 v Paraguay (qualifying)
• 2-0 v Peru (qualifying)
• 1-1 v Chile (qualifying)
• 2-2 v Colombia (qualifying)
• 1-1 v Chile (Copa América 2021, group stage)
• 1-0 v Uruguay (Copa América 2021, group stage)
• 1-0 v Paraguay (Copa América 2021, group stage)
• 4-1 v Bolivia (Copa América 2021, group stage)
• 3-0 v Ecuador (Copa América 2021, quarter-finals)
• 1-1, 3-2 on penalties vs. Colombia (Copa América 2021, semi-finals)
• 1-0 v Brazil (Copa América 2021, Final)
• 3-1 v Venezuela (qualifying)
• 3-0 v Bolivia (qualifying)
• 0-0 v Paraguay (qualifying)
• 3-0 v Uruguay (qualifying)
• 1-0 v Peru (qualifying)
• 1-0 v Uruguay (qualifying)
• 0-0 v Brazil (qualifying)
• 2-1 v Chile (qualifying)
• 1-0 v Colombia (qualifying)
• 3-0 v Venezuela (qualifying)
• 1-1 v Ecuador (qualifying)
• 3-0 vs Italy (Final)
• 5-0 v Estonia (friendly)
• 3-0 vs Honduras (friendly)
• 3-0 vs Jamaican (friendly)
• 5-0 vs United Arab Emirates (friendly)