General football culture says that the starting goalkeeper wears the #1 jersey, and the substitute the #12. This year Sergio Romero chose to have the #22, Mariano Andujar has the #23 and Diego Pozo , the third goalkeeper was assigned the controversial #1 jersey.

Why is this jersey so controversial? Well, Argentines believe this jersey means bad luck for the goalkeeper who uses it.

World Cup 1986:
The goalkeeper during the tournament was Nery Pumpido, as we all know Argentina won the championship that year. Pumpido wore the #18 jersey that year.



World Cup 1990:
Nery Pumpido was once selected as the starting goalkeeper for Argentina. However he was assigned the #1 jersey. Pumpido played the initial matches against Romania and Cameroon. During the match against the former USSR, Pumpido injured one of his ankles and could not continue in the tournament. Sergio Goycochea, who wore #12 succeded him on goal. Argentina lost the finals to Germany that year in a controversial match.



World Cup 1994:
Sergio Goycochea wore the #1 jersey through the qualifiers, and all was set for him to be the starting goalkeeper in the world cup. In 1993 he had a solid performance in the Copa America Argentina won, however the last few games in the qualifiers he lost his spot to Luis Islas, who wore the #12 during the world cup.



World Cup 1998:
During the world cup in France, Carlos Roa decided to go against the odds and he chose the #1 jersey. He was the hero during the penalty shootout against England, however, a misjudgment of the ball during the match against Holland made him the Villain. Was he a victim of the #1 jersey?




World Cup 2002:
German “El Mono” Burgos was assigned the number #1 jersey during the qualifiers. Argentina qualified to the world cup as the #1 contender, everything was lined up to see Argentina as the champion. However, before the world cup started Marcelo Bielsa decided to bench German Burgos, and chose Pablo Cavallero instead. Argentina and France were cataloged as total failure, being eliminated in the group stages of the tournament.



World Cup 2006:
Roberto Abondanzzieri decided to use the #1 jersey during the world cup. During the quarterfinals “El Pato” had to be replaced with an injury, and Argentina was eliminated in the penalty shootout, one of Abondanzzieri’s specialties.



This may be just a myth or pure coincidence, however Maradona and Bilardo (both very superstitious) did not take the risk, and Sergio Romero was assigned the #22 jersey, Diego Pozo, the third goalkeeper was given the #1.