The Albiceleste hold a commanding edge in the rivalry against the Inca team, who last defeated them in 1997.
Argentina and Peru share a long history of clashes. From their first meeting in 1927, both nations have faced each other across a spectrum of competitions: qualifying rounds, the America’s Cups, friendlies, and even the World Cup.
Over the years, Argentina has cultivated a clear dominance in the series against Peru. After a 1-0 win in the 12th round of the Qatar 2022 qualifying campaign, Argentina’s unbeaten run stretched to 15 matches, with Peru’s last victory dating back twenty‑four years when they lifted Copa América in Bolivia with a 2-1 win in Sucre on June 21, 1997.
Peru did pull off one of the most painful results in Argentine history, when a 2-2 draw at La Bombonera on August 31, 1969 kept Argentina from qualifying for the 1970 World Cup in Mexico. A subsequent 2-2 draw in Buenos Aires nearly opened a path to Mexico 1986, a campaign in which Argentina would later emerge as champions.
In terms of goal distribution by competition, the recordbook shows a clear pattern.
ELIMINATORIES
The two nations first crossed paths in the Mexico 1970 qualifiers and would later meet in Mexico 1986 and the United States 1994, before the round‑robin format became standard with the France 1998 qualifiers.
At home, Argentina has never lost to Peru in World Cup qualifying matches: seven wins and three draws, dating from the last such encounter on October 14, 2021. In Lima, the Inca have managed two victories, but with four draws and four defeats in other meetings.
AMERICA CUP
In the continental championship, the initial meeting occurred on November 27, 1927, a 5-1 Argentine victory, and since then the competition has hosted more head‑to‑head duels than any other format, tallying 17 clashes. The most recent meeting came in the Venezuela 2007 quarterfinals, when Argentina won decisively, 4-0.
WORLD CUP
The two teams have appeared in the World Cup together only once. On June 21, 1978, in the second group stage, Argentina faced a match surrounded by controversy under a brutal dictatorship. The Albiceleste won 6-0 and advanced to the decisive final round, a result that remains part of World Cup lore.
OTHER COMPETITIONS
Apart from traditional tournaments, Argentina and Peru also met in the Pan American Cup, an official event held in 1952, 1956, and 1960 with CONMEBOL teams and the NAFC/CCCFF contingents that would later form CONCACAF. In the Mexico edition, the two teams drew 0-0 on February 26, 1956, in the opening match at the UNAM Stadium.
FRIENDLY
While most encounters have been competitive, both nations have also faced off in friendlies, sometimes for unofficial cups such as the Roque Sáenz Peña Cup, the Ramón Castilla Cup, and the Municipality of Córdoba Cup. Peru has not secured a victory in these fourteen matches. The most recent non‑official clash occurred on June 20, 2004 in New Jersey, where Argentina prevailed 2-1 with goals from Javier Saviola and Cristian González, while Nolberto Solano scored for Peru.
GENERAL HISTORY
When tallying every meeting between the two sides, Argentina maintains a substantial lead of 29 matches over Peru. Peru has yet to win an away game in this head‑to‑head, with three wins coming in Lima and two more recorded in Bolivia.
“””Mentions of the rivalry are widely cited in historical summaries of South American football and are attributed to official federation records and contemporary match reports.””” — Goal