Messi, Aguero, Pastore and more: The clubs which trained the stars of Argentine football

Before shining for Barcelona and winning five Ballon d’Or awards, “la pulga” (the flea) donned the red and black of Newell’s Old Boys, a club he played for from the age of seven until the age of 12 (1994 to 2000). Messi was at the club during the reign of the legendary class of ’87, nicknamed “la maquina 87” (machine 87) because they were quite simply unbeatable. It wasn’t long before Messi was showing off his talents. Legend has it that on several occasions at half-time during first team matches Messi was sent onto the pitch to perform keepie uppie ball skills which mesmerised the crowd. In addition to the current Barca hero, Newell’s have also had other budding Argentine football stars on their books. This centenarian club saw Sergio Omar Almiron, Eduardo Berizzo, Américo Rubén Gallego, Roberto Sensini and others passed through its doors, and Newell’s are the club that boasts providing the highest number of players to the national team. Newell’s was also the club where Marcelo Biesla made a name for himself (the club’s stadium now carries his name). Newell’s biggest rival are Rosario Central, the club which gave us Angel di Maria. The derby between the two Rosario-based clubs is the oldest in Argentine football, with the first encounter dating back to 1905. It is a derby which, every year, completely divides this pleasant town located on the banks of the river Paraná.

Sergio Agüero is a child of Independiente. He went there aged nine (in 1997) and soon afterwards he was breaking not only goal scoring records but also ones linked to his age. Agüero, who has often been compared to Romario, played his first game in the Primera División at the age of 15 years, one month and three days old (in July 2003) – in doing so he beat Diego Maradona’s record as the youngest player to appear in a match at that level. Indeed, the club owe Agüero a lot, as the 20 million euros they obtained from his sale to Atletico Madrid in 2006 enabled the club to build a new stadium. Independiente are situated in a working class area of Buenos Aires and are nicknamed the “king of cups”; a well-deserved nickname given their trophy cabinet includes seven Copa Libertadores (1964, 1965, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975 and 1984), a record yet to be equalled on the continent. The Manchester City striker has always said he would like to finish his career at Independiente.

“The people’s player” who started his career at Boca Juniors, the country’s most popular club, and Carlos Tevez is a veritable idol there. He made his mark during his first spell at the club, from 2001 to 2005, winning four titles (one league title, one Copa Libertadores, one Copa Intercontinental and one Copa Sudamericana) and scoring 38 goals in 110 matches.

“The Apache” decided to return to his club years later to finish his playing career, and in his first season back he claimed the league again (2015). Tevez has everything that Boca fans love: he never accepts he is beaten and he never gives up. These are qualities which truly delight fans of this Buenos Aires-based club that is situated in the once notorious yet now highly touristic port region of Boca. The area’s colourful houses have become as much of a trademark as the Bombonera football stadium.

The PSG star began his playing career in rather anonymous fashion. In fact, who now remembers that Javier Pastore once wore the blue and white of Talleres de Cordoba? Although he played there during the 2006-2007 season, he only played five games, of which two were draws and the other three defeats. In short, Pastore never tasted victory in an official match with Talleres. The following season he was sent to Huracan, a Buenos Aires-based club. Frustrated by his all-too-brief spell at Talleres, Pastore would like to return to the club to end his career there, and finally win a game with the club that was his first love. Today, the club based in Cordoba, the country’s second most populous city after Buenos Aires, play in the second division. Indeed, the club are living proof that it is difficult to exist in a country where professional football is largely centralised in Buenos Aires and its surrounding area.

Marcos Rojo is a child of La Plata, the charming capital of the province of Buenos Aires and a town that is commonly known as “the town of diagonals”. The Manchester United player was born there and started his playing days at l’Estudiantes. In three seasons playing at the highest level, from 2008 to 2011, he won two titles: a league and a Copa Libertadores. Estudiantes La Plata are one of the “big two” clubs in the town (alongside Gimnasia), and Juan Sebastian “la brujita” Veron (“la brujita” meaning “little wizard”) is its chairman. This club is renowned for its coaching and for having always had high profile coaches: Carlos Bilardo, Diego Simeone or even Alejandro Sabella, to name those who are well-known in Europe.