As one of the standout members of the star-studded squad that secured maiden crown on home soil in 1978, Jose Daniel Valencia commands a place in the pantheon of the nation’s footballing greats. Despite revelling in that status, he does have a slight quibble with the way in which he and his triumphant team-mates are commonly known: “I don’t like the fact that folk sometimes refer to us as ‘former world champions’. We’re world champions and always will be," Valencia told FIFA. "It’s just like how you’re a footballer for your whole life and never become an ex-footballer.”
Capped 41 times for his country, La Rana — a moniker the midfield maestro earned on account of his frog-like physique — also graced the 1982 edition of FIFA’s flagship event. At club level, the pass master shone particularly brightly for Argentinian side Talleres, where he spent the majority of his career.
Valencia has always felt very much at home on a football pitch, which, given his upbringing, shouldn't come as a surprise: “My dad was a groundsman, and we lived beneath one of the stands within the stadium," he recalled with a nostalgic grin. "There was no chance that I’d go on to become a tennis or rugby player, or even a golfer. Our garden was a football pitch. I’d spend all day, right from the moment I got up in the morning, with a ball at my feet. There were times when I earned a telling-off from my parents because I forgot all about stopping to eat. Whenever my friends came over, we’d play out on the pitch.”
Cesar Luis Menotti gave Valencia the coveted number 10 role in La Albiceleste’s first four outings at the 1978 FIFA World Cup™. However, the 22-year-old suffered an untimely sprained ankle in the third of those encounters that would ultimately consign him to a watching brief from the bench. Despite his absence, the hosts edged past the Netherlands 3-1 after extra time at a jam-packed Estadio Monumental in the tournament decider.
“I didn’t actually get my hands on the trophy until some time after the final," recalled La Rana. "At the full-time whistle, I only had one thing on my mind: to go and give my mum a hug because I’d missed her. I’ve always been a real mummy’s boy. I lost my dad when I was younger. I wasn’t bothered about lifting the trophy, getting my medal or any of that stuff. I asked Menotti to apologise to all the boys on my behalf for heading home to see my mum. He said to me: ‘You must be mad, kid.’ But I stuck to my guns, and he arranged a police escort to get me back to the team hotel. It’d have been impossible for me to get through the crowds on my own.”
When San Salvador de Jujuy’s prodigal son rolled into town following a lengthy 1,500-kilometre road trip from Buenos Aires, his mother was not at home. Naturally enough, she had taken to the streets to celebrate the national team’s feat. “I must have been waiting for her for half an hour or more. When she turned up, we gave each other the most wonderful hug you could imagine – that was my trophy and medal right there! That hug seemed to go on forever,” the former N10 recounted wistfully.
“It took a considerable time for me to realise that I was a world champion and for it to all sink in. It was only when I hit 45 or 50 that I started to gain an appreciation of what it actually meant. I believe that I’m one of around 500 World Cup winners on the whole planet.”
On the back of his stellar showings at the global showpiece, the Talleres talisman attracted attention from some of Europe’s biggest hitters, including the mighty Real Madrid, but he was reluctant to leave his motherland. “I was very happy at home. In my eyes, Talleres were on a par with the likes of Newell’s, Barcelona and Real Madrid. My decision to stay put is one I’ve never regretted."
Valencia was fortunate enough to line up alongside Diego Maradona 14 times for Argentina. In those encounters, the La Rana provided his playmaking partner in crime with a pair of assists and netted a diving header following a pinpoint free-kick delivery from Maradona in a 1-0 friendly victory over the Republic of Ireland in Dublin.
“More than a team-mate; he was a friend," said Valencia. "He was like family to me and a great pal. He was actually godfather to one of my daughters. Being out on the pitch with him played into my hands because we operated in pretty much the same position and nobody bothered about marking me because they were all too worried about him. Playing alongside him was a dream and such a joy."
Valencia referred to as an extraordinary and fiery talent: “He was bursting with energy. He was our captain and was constantly encouraging us and was always in your ear. He played very much on the edge. I never managed to master the tricks he could do with a golf ball, which were mere child’s play to him. He’d grab a piece of paper, scrunch it up and start kicking it about. He did some truly breathtaking things. He never failed to leave you with your jaw on the floor and was a real magician." Valencia admitted that he struggles to talk about his on-field ally following his passing in 2020, before sharing his conviction that “he lives on in all of us.”
Valencia shared a story that demonstrates his talent. As he recalled, when Menotti clapped eyes on Maradona for the first time: “I said to him: ‘He’s some player, that boy,’ to which Menotti replied: ‘I don’t know why you’re so impressed by him. The thing with you is that I couldn’t tell you if you’re left- or right-footed, while one of Diego’s legs is only any good for standing on.’ He went on to say that he’d watched Pele, [Johan] Cruyff, Maradona and [Lionel] Messi, and I was the only one who left him scratching his head as to which was my stronger foot.”
La Rana told FIFA he shed a tear when Messi and Co won Argentina a third world championship in 2022. “I made up for the tears I didn’t cry all those years ago, when I didn’t fully grasp what we’d achieved and what it meant to be a world champion. At the age of 67, by which point I had that understanding, the tears rolled down my eyes.”
The father of three, who called time on his playing career in 1993 following a spell with Bolivian outfit San Jose, tips Argentina to be firmly in the mix at the sharp end of the 2026 tournament, alongside France and Spain. “ is in superb form, as he always is. I think we’re in fine fettle. Nowadays, it’s a totally different ball game: the intensity levels are greater, it’s so much more physical and the number 10 is a dying breed. That said, [Lionel] Scaloni is like a throwback in the way he deploys Messi, , [Thiago] Almada and [Alexis] Mac Allister. That’s great to see and it reminds me of the Brazilian side at the 1970 World Cup.”
Sources: FIFA Official
