Rosario Central: one club, two moments… and two different kinds of pride

Esteban Bekerman - 29th November 2025

Argentina’s three FIFA World Cup victories are each defined by an unmistakable face: in 1978, it was Mario Kempes; in 1986, Diego Maradona; and in 2022, Lionel Messi. There’s no debate: unlike other national teams that have won world titles, each of Argentina’s triumphs was led by a singular, standout figure who took charge in crucial moments and carried the team to glory.

If we talk about “second guitars” - as Argentinians say to refer to the main supporting player or partner of the star- we can confidently mention Fillol in 1978, Burruchaga or Valdano in 1986, and, perhaps not for his entire tournament but for his decisive performance in the final against France, Ángel Di María in 2022.

Of all the clubs in Argentine football, only one has had the privilege of featuring two of these seven players in its first division before they became world champions. Interestingly, this club is not one of Argentina’s traditional “big five” (Boca Juniors, River Plate, Independiente, San Lorenzo, and Racing), but rather Rosario Central.

Yes: with Di María joining Kempes as the second player with a “canalla” background to play a key role in Argentina’s World Cup triumphs, Rosario Central stands alone in having been a crucial steppingstone in the professional careers of two of the country’s greatest contributors to its world titles. It’s a true honor.

Fans of archrival Newell’s Old Boys might argue that their club also produced two of these stars. However, they only enjoyed one (Valdano) in their first team. The other, none other than Messi, only played in childs tournaments for Newell’s before moving to Barcelona, where he completed his development at the famous Masía academy.

Central, on the other hand, not only developed Di María in its youth system and had him briefly in its main squad before his transfer to Europe, but also enjoyed Kempes at his peak after signing him in 1974, when he was already a star in Argentine football. To secure his transfer from Instituto de Córdoba, Central paid indeed 160,000 American dollars, a record sum in the local market at the time.

With “El Matador” as their star, Central became the club with the most points in 1974. In the Metropolitano tournament, they earned 26 points and won their group (A), while Newell’s won the other section with 24. In the Nacional tournament, Central accumulated 30 points, qualifying for the final round as second in their group, just two points behind Boca, while no team in the other groups surpassed 27 points.

Curiously, Central didn’t win either championship. The Metropolitano was claimed by their historic rival after a legendary 2-2 away draw, coming back from 2-0 down in one of the most memorable Rosario derbies ever. San Lorenzo won the Nacional. At the time, no one would have considered awarding Central a title for having the most points in the year, as it wasn’t stipulated in the rules.

Now, however, that’s exactly what happened in Argentina with Rosario Central, where Di María returned this year after a long European career. Just days ago, AFA president Claudio Tapia unilaterally and against regulations awarded the club a championship for finishing first in an “Annual Table” that was only meant to determine qualification for other cups.

This coronation was celebrated in Rosario as a title as important as any other in the club’s history. Days later, Central was eliminated at home by Estudiantes de La Plata in the round of 16 of the Professional League. Their “executioner” was the only club to have previously denounced the lack of legitimacy of Central’s title, and as a result, AFA tried to humiliate Estudiantes by forcing them to give Central a “guard of honor”. Estudiantes’ players did so, but turned their backs, and were subsequently punished along with club president Juan Sebastián Verón in another controversial and scandalous decision.

Clearly, much time has passed since the days of Kempes. Much has changed in Argentine football. The national team is now world and double American champion, but the domestic leagues suffer from a constant exodus of young talent and lack top global stars. Very different from 1974, when Argentina had no world titles but its clubs could enjoy players like El Matador. A different time, undoubtedly. And, as many others, certainly a more legitimate pride for Rosario Central than this of the present.

Esteban is a professor at the Superior School of Sports Journalism of Buenos Aires (the oldest of its kind in South America), where he teaches a 'Football History' course designed by him since 1997. He also set-up a created Entre Tiempos, a unique cultural space dedicated entirely to football history which we will be visiting on our upcoming tours of Buenos Aires