Carlos Babington, Huracan Idol and Argentina World Cup Midfielder, Dies at 77

Carlos Babington, one of the greatest players in the history of Huracan, died on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, at the age of 77. The Argentine sports newspaper Ole reported that he was found dead at his home in Buenos Aires. Babington played for Argentina at the 1974 World Cup, and he later returned to Huracan as coach and then as club president.

Huracan confirmed the death in a statement on Wednesday. "El Club Atletico Huracan lamenta profundamente el fallecimiento de Carlos Babington, campeon de 1973, tecnico, presidente de la Institucion y uno de los mas grandes futbolistas que dio el futbol argentino," the club said, calling him the 1973 champion, a coach, a president of the institution and one of the greatest footballers Argentine football has produced. The Argentine Football Association also paid tribute. Its president, Claudio Tapia, expressed the association's deep sorrow at Babington's death and sent his condolences to the family, Ole reported.

The Huracan team of 1973

Babington was born in Buenos Aires on September 20, 1949, and made his first division debut for Huracan in 1969. He was an attacking midfielder who played with the number 10 shirt, and Argentine fans knew him as El Ingles, the Englishman, a nickname that came from his English ancestry. His left foot ran the Huracan side built by coach Cesar Luis Menotti, and in 1973 that team won the Torneo Metropolitano. It remains the only league title in Huracan history, and Argentine football still counts that side among the best club teams the country has seen. Across two spells with the club, Babington scored 126 goals for Huracan.

A World Cup, then Germany, the United States and Colombia

Babington played for Argentina at the 1974 World Cup in West Germany. He made five appearances at the tournament and scored in the 4-1 group win over Haiti. He won 13 caps for his country in total. After the World Cup he stayed in Germany and joined SG Wattenscheid 09. He returned to Huracan in a second spell, then moved to the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the United States and to Junior de Barranquilla in Colombia, where he ended his playing career in 1983.

Player, coach and president of one club

Few men have served one club in as many roles. Babington coached Huracan and won second division championships with the club in 1990 and 2000, taking the team back to the first division both times. He also coached Racing Club and River Plate. In 2006 he was elected president of Huracan, and he held the post until 2011. Babington and Daniel Passarella of River Plate are the only people in Argentine football to have been a player, a coach and a president of the same club.