Antonio Rattín, Boca Juniors Legend, Dies at 89

Overview

• Rattín died on Saturday, July 11, 2026, at age 89 and Boca Juniors issued an official statement calling him an "ídolo e emblema" and offering condolences to his family.
• He spent his entire professional career at Boca Juniors from 1956 to 1970, playing 382 official matches, scoring 28 goals and winning multiple national titles plus the 1969 Copa Argentina.
• In the 1966 World Cup quarterfinal at Wembley, referee Rudolf Kreitlein expelled Rattín verbally and by gesture, and a language barrier left Rattín on the pitch for several minutes while he protested the decision.
• Ken Aston, watching episodes such as Rattín’s expulsion and earlier matches, proposed a visual card system that FIFA adopted for the 1970 World Cup to make cautions and send-offs clear to players and fans of any language.
• After retiring as a player Rattín coached including a spell at Boca in 1980, served as a national deputy (2001–2005) and local official, and was honored with a statue at La Bombonera while Argentina’s team wore black armbands in his memory.