Spain vs Argentina: Ranking the three greatest players from each nation to ever play for Liverpool

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Make ONE prediction about the rest of Dominik Szoboszlai’s Liverpool career He's here for the next FIVE years 😍 Credit: Getty Images/Liverpool FC Choosing the Spanish candidatesIt is fair to say that in this particular clash, Spanish players have made a far greater impact on Liverpool than their Argentine compatriots.All in all, there have been 22 players from Spain who have made at least one appearance for the Reds, with Munoz set to become number 23 this summer.The first arrival was Josemi in 2004, and though the right-back did not make a big impact at Liverpool, a number of his countrymen to follow certainly have.There have been some other duds such as Iago Aspas, Javier Manquillo and Luis Alberto, but many have shone. All bar Torres won trophies with Liverpool, and made a combined 965 appearances for the club between them.But while Thiago would get in on talent alone, injuries stalled his time with Liverpool, and although Garcia was a hero during the 2005 Champions League and 2006 FA Cup wins, he was not at the level of Torres, Alonso or Reina, who make it through to face off against the three Argentines.

Nevertheless, their impact has been impressive.The first Argentine to play for Liverpool arrived during the January transfer window, and although Mauricio Pellegrino only played 11 times for the Reds, he paved the way for some quality players.Emiliano Insua, Sebastian Leto and Javier Mascherano all joined in 2007, and while Leto only made four appearances, Insua and, especially, Mascherano fared better.‘El Jefe’, as the defensive midfielder was known, developed into one of the best in the world in his position across three-and-a-half years with Liverpool before leaving and becoming a stalwart of Pep Guardiola’s legendary Barcelona team. Photo Credit: Getty Images/David Ramos/Joe Prior/Visionhaus So too is Maxi Rodriguez, who played for six months at Anfield alongside his international colleague, becoming known for his handy knack of scoring hat-tricks across a further two years at the club.Finally, Mac Allister joined in 2023, and despite a poor season last year, he has followed on ably from Mascherano in particular, becoming a key figure as Liverpool won the Premier League in 2025.Ranking the six playersAlthough Spanish players have made a bigger impact on the whole, Argentina house the only Premier League winner here, and that has to be taken into account.Nevertheless, they also have the player of the half-dozen who made the smallest impact at Liverpool, and that is Maxi, who comes in at number six.At five is Mascherano who, despite his quality, did not achieve as much as he could have with the Reds.

Prior/Getty ImagesThat leaves two Spanish players battling it out for the top spot, two World Cup winners no less.Alonso’s reputation has taken a hit in recent times after he seemingly turned down the chance to join Liverpool as manager in 2024, but the campaign to have him installed before the sacking of Arne Slot this summer showed he still has plenty of fans on Merseyside.The former No. 9.One of the absolute best players in the world in his pomp – which came at Anfield – Torres is absolutely the best Spanish or Argentinian player to ever represent Liverpool, trophies or no trophies.Join Our NewsletterReceive a digest of our best Liverpool content each week direct to your mailbox