Ricardo Infante

Argentine striker who pioneered the rabona and ranks among the Primera División's top scorers.

Ricardo Roberto Infante (21 June 1924 – 13 December 2008) was an Argentine football player and manager who played as a striker. He was the second highest scoring player in the history of Estudiantes de La Plata and the sixth highest scoring player in the professional era of the Primera División Argentina.

Quick Facts

Role: Striker
Affiliation: Club Atlético Estudiantes de La Plata (later Huracán)

Lore & Background

Infante made his professional debut in 1942 for Estudiantes. He scored his first goal for the club on 1 August 1943 in a 2–2 draw with Chacarita Juniors. One of his notable moments came on 19 September 1948 in a game against Rosario Central, where he scored a goal with a right-footed rabona from 35 metres out, considered by many football specialists as the origin of the rabona skill. He left Estudiantes in 1953 after their relegation from the Primera División, joining Club Atlético Huracán until 1956, then returned to Estudiantes for a second spell. In 1958 he was part of the Argentina squad that played in the 1958 FIFA World Cup. In 1960 Estudiantes refused to renew his contract after a knee injury, prompting him to join Gimnasia de La Plata. He retired later that year and worked as a youth coach in La Plata.

Reader's Guide

Infante scored 180 goals for Estudiantes in 328 games. He currently occupies sixth place on the list of the Primera División Argentina all-time top scorers with 217 goals in 439 games.