This is a progressive list of men's association footballers who have held or co-held the South American record for international caps since 1902.
The criteria used by national FAs in considering a match as a full international were not historically fixed. Particularly for the early decades, and until more recently for FAs outside UEFA and CONMEBOL, counts of caps were often considered unreliable. RSSSF and IFFHS have spent much effort trying to produce definitive lists of full international matches, and corresponding data on players' international caps and goals. Using this data, the following records can be retrospectively produced. Note that, at the time, these records may not have been recognised.
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in men's international football and is administered by the Argentine Football Association, the governing body for football in Argentina.
Daniel Alberto Passarella is an Argentine former footballer and manager, who is considered one of the greatest defenders of all time. As a player for Argentina, he was part of two FIFA World Cup–winning teams; he captained his nation to victory at the 1978 World Cup which Argentina hosted, and was also part of the winning squad in 1986.
Enzo Francescoli Uriarte, nicknamed "El Príncipe", is a Uruguayan former footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. He is regarded as one of the best playmakers of his generation and as one of Uruguay's and South America's greatest ever players.
Cha Bum-kun is a South Korean former football manager and player, nicknamed Tscha Bum or "Cha Boom" in Germany because of his name and thunderous ball striking ability. He showed explosive pace and powerful shots with his thick thighs. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest Asian footballers of all time.
Noureddine Naybet is a Moroccan former professional footballer who played as a central defender. He played in Spain for Deportivo de La Coruña and in Portugal for Sporting CP, as well as in France for FC Nantes and in England for Tottenham Hotspur. He is considered one of the best defenders in La Liga of his generation. Naybet spent the longest and most successful period of his career with Deportivo La Coruña in Spain's La Liga, from 1996 to 2004. He was named the 44th greatest African player of all time by the African football expert Ed Dove.
José Manuel Moreno Fernández, nicknamed "El Charro", was an Argentine footballer who played as an inside forward for several clubs in Argentina, Mexico, Chile, and Colombia; for many who saw him play, he is regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, even among Diego Maradona, Pelé and Alfredo Di Stéfano, and was the first footballer ever to have won first division league titles in four countries.
José Nasazzi Yarza was a Uruguayan footballer who played as a right-back or centre-back. He captained his country when they won the inaugural FIFA World Cup in 1930.
Datuk Arumugam Rengasamy was a legendary Malaysian national football player from Selangor. His long arms and difficult saves earned him the nickname "Spiderman". He was inducted into the FIFA Century Club in May 2021.
José Leandro Andrade Quiroz was an Uruguayan footballer who played at wing-half. He was nicknamed "The Black Marvel". During his prime he was regarded as one of the finest footballers in the world, contributing to the Uruguay national football team's domination of international football during the 1920s, winning two consecutive Olympic Gold Medals and then the first FIFA World Cup.
Julio César Dely Valdés is a Panamanian former professional footballer who played as a striker. He is a twin brother of Jorge Dely Valdés and younger brother of Armando Dely Valdés.
Datuk Wira Soh Chin Ann is a Malaysian former footballer. He was affectionately known as Tauke or Towkay by his teammates and fans. RSSSF and IFFHS recognised Soh as the player with the most international caps in men's football with 219 caps. He formerly held the record of all-time most appearances in FIFA international recognized matches with 195 caps, before being overtaken by Kuwait's Bader Al-Mutawa in 2022.
This is a progressive list of men's association footballers who have held or co-held the world record for international caps, beginning with Billy MacKinnon, the only man to play in all of Scotland's first seven internationals.
This is a progressive list of football players who have held or co-held the record for goals scored for the Scotland national football team. The list begins with Henry Renny-Tailyour and William Gibb, who both scored in the 4–2 defeat by England in March 1873. The first official international game, contested by the same teams in November 1872, had finished goalless. The record is shared by Denis Law and Kenny Dalglish, with 30 goals each.
The Argentina–Uruguay football rivalry is a highly competitive sports rivalry that exists between the national football teams of the two countries, as well as their respective sets of fans. Games between the two teams, even those that are only friendly matches, are often marked by notable and sometimes controversial incidents. On 20 July 1902, both teams played the first international match in Uruguay with Argentina being the winner by 6–0.
This is a progressive list of men's association footballers who have held or co-held the world record for international goals, beginning with William Kenyon-Slaney, who played in England's second international scoring two goals.
This is a progressive list of men's association footballers who have held or co-held the European record for international goals since 1873. The progression up to 1956 is derivable from the world record progression because the world record holder was always European.
This is a progressive list of men's association footballers who have held or co-held the Oceania record for international goals since 1922.
This is a progressive list of men's association footballers who have held or co-held the Oceania record for international caps since 1922.
The 1902 association football match between Uruguay and Argentina was not only the first international match for both sides, but the first international held in South America. Argentina won 6–0, initiating a longtime rivalry between both teams, that have met more than 190 times since that first encounter, becoming the international derby with the most matches played worldwide, surpassing even the England–Scotland rivalry, which, first held in 1872, is the oldest fixture in the world.