Antonio Rattín, Argentine football legend and Boca Juniors icon, dies at 89
Antonio Ubaldo Rattín, one of Argentina’s most celebrated midfielders, died on 11 July 2026 at the age of 89. Rattín spent his entire club career (1956‑1970) with Boca Juniors, appearing in 382 official matches, scoring 28 goals and winning four league titles, a Copa Argentina and a Copa Libertadores runner‑up. He captained the Argentina national team at the 1962 and 1966 World Cups. In the 1966 quarter‑final against England, his expulsion by German referee Rudolf Kreitlein – after a language dispute and a protest that included sitting on the royal red carpet and crushing the British corner flag – prompted FIFA to introduce yellow and red cards for the 1970 World Cup.
The death was widely mourned. Boca Juniors, the Argentine Football Association and former president Mauricio Macri issued statements of condolence, recalling his leadership, loyalty and the statue erected in his honour at the Museo de la Pasión Boquense. Tributes highlighted his influence on both club and country and the lasting legacy of the 1966 incident on modern football rules.