Ariel Ortega

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Ortega began his career with River Plate and played most of his career there during four separate spells between 1991 and 1996, 2000–02, 2006–08 and 2009–11. With the team, he played 359 competitive matches, scored 81 goals, and won several trophies, including the 1996 Copa Libertadores. In Europe, Ortega played for Valencia in Spain, Parma and Sampdoria in Italy, and Fenerbahçe in Turkey. He also had a two-year period with Newell's Old Boys, as well as three short loans from River Plate at other Argentinian teams towards the end of his career. He retired from professional football in 2012. An Argentina international, Ortega played 88 times and scored 17 goals for his country between 1993 and 2010. He represented them at the 1994, 1998, and 2002 World Cups. He also appeared at the 1995 and 1999 Copa Américas, and was a member of the team that won the silver medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics.

In Their Own Story

On July 3, 1994, Ortega made his debut in the starting eleven as Argentina faced Romania, eventually being knocked out of that tournament. Years later, after a long absence from the national team following the 2002 World Cup, he was recalled on September 24, 2009. Unfortunately, an injury sustained during the weekend's domestic league match forced him to miss a friendly against Ghana. His return continued in April 2010, seventeen years after his debut, when Diego Maradona called him up for a match against Haiti. Playing as part of a squad composed entirely of Primera División players, Ortega started on May 5. Throughout these years, he was celebrated by fans who nicknamed him "El Mas Grande" (The Greatest), even as disciplinary issues and alcoholism struggles occasionally sidelined the magician.

Reader's Guide

Ortega was known for his pace, mobility, dribbling ability, set-piece delivery, ball control, body feints, and chipped finishes. During his prime, he was widely regarded as one of the world's finest dribblers, and was described by FIFA as "the king of the dribble". A classic Argentine enganche, he was primarily deployed as an attacking midfielder, but he also operated effectively as a right winger during his early career and as a supporting forward. He was recognized for his vision and passing range, which led to early comparisons with Diego Maradona. Revered by River Plate fans who nicknamed him El Mas Grande (The Greatest), his playing style was characterized by a combination of spectacular skill, creativity, and a combative nature on the pitch. However, Ortega's career was also marked by disciplinary issues and inconsistency, and some commentators felt that he did not fully realize the potential he had displayed early.

Did You Know?

• Ortega is the fourth player in World Cup history with more successful dribbles in a single World Cup according to FIFA.
• He won the silver medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics.
• Ortega scored a controversial goal with his hand in the 93rd minute to give River Plate a victory over Quilmes in March 2007.
• He was suspended for four months in 2003 after FIFA ordered him to pay Fenerbahçe USD 11,000,000 for breach of contract.