The Greatest Polo Players of All Time: The Definitive Ranking

Ranking polo's greatest players is an exercise in comparing across eras — a challenge familiar to anyone who debates the greatest tennis players, golfers, or cricketers. The 10-[goal](/glossary/goal) [handicap](/glossary/handicap) system provides a measuring stick, but peak handicap alone does not capture the full picture. Duration of excellence, impact on the sport, titles won, and the testimony of contemporaries all matter.

This is our definitive ranking of polo's ten greatest players — the result of extensive research, consultation with polo historians, and analysis of the historical record.

What Makes a Great Polo Player?

Before the rankings, the criteria:

The Top 10 Greatest Polo Players

1. Adolfo Cambiaso (Argentina, born 1975)

There is no serious debate about the greatest polo player of the modern era — and most historians place him at the top of all time. Cambiaso has held a 10-goal handicap since 1995, an astonishing 30+ year period at the sport's maximum rating. His Argentine Open record — nine wins — is unmatched by any player of any era. He conceived, built, and dominated with **La Dolfina**, one of sport's great teams.

What makes Cambiaso extraordinary extends beyond his statistics. His spatial awareness on the field, his anticipation of play two moves ahead, and his ability to control the pace of a match are qualities that coaches and fellow 10-goalers describe as sui generis — outside normal human experience of the game.

2. John "Memo" Gracida (Mexico, 1958–2022)

Memo Gracida is the greatest player of the pre-Cambiaso era and was universally considered the world's best player for much of the 1980s and 1990s. The first player to win the US Open eight times, he was the first Mexican player to be rated 10-goal by both the USPA and AAP simultaneously.

Gracida played with brilliance and competitive ferocity that was respected even by the Argentine 10-goalers of his era. His White Birch and Retama teams were the dominant forces in American polo for two decades.

3. Carlos Gracida (Mexico, 1960–2014)

Memo's younger brother, Carlos achieved equal recognition in his own right. A four-time Argentine Open winner and multiple US Open champion, Carlos Gracida was one of the most technically accomplished players in the history of the sport. His backhand shot is still cited by coaches as close to perfect.

4. Juan Carlos Harriott Jr. (Argentina, born 1946)

"Juancito" Harriott Jr. is the dynasty player par excellence. Born into the greatest polo family in Argentine history, he won nine Argentine Opens and held 10-goal for over 15 years. His command of team play and his reading of a game were extraordinary, and many who watched both him and Cambiaso argue that Harriott at his peak was the equal of anyone who ever played.

5. Gonzalo "Gonzo" Pieres (Argentina, born 1956)

Gonzo Pieres was the Pieres dynasty's greatest competitor — a powerful physical player who combined raw skill with elite teamwork. Multiple Argentine Open wins across several decades placed him among the all-time greats. The Pieres family's influence on polo extends from Gonzalo through his sons and nephews who continue to dominate world polo.

6. Alfredo Harriott (Argentina, 1913–1994)

The patriarch of the Harriott dynasty and one of the most dominant players of the mid-20th century. Alfredo held 10-goal for over a decade and assembled Argentine Open winning teams that set the template for how polo dynasties operate. His influence on Argentine polo culture is immeasurable.

7. Horacio Heguy (Argentina, born 1955)

The Heguy dynasty is Coronel Suárez's other great polo family, and Horacio was its competitive standard-bearer. A 10-goal player who competed at the highest level for two decades, his contribution to the art of polo team play is recognised across the sport.

8. Nacho Figueras (Argentina, born 1977)

Nacho Figueras deserves his place on this list not merely for his 6-goal playing career — respected but not exceptional — but for his incomparable role in bringing polo to a global audience beyond the sport's traditional borders. No individual has done more to grow polo's global visibility, and that contribution to the sport's long-term health is, in its own way, a form of greatness.

9. Tommy Hitchcock Jr. (USA, 1900–1944)

America's greatest polo player of the 20th century. A 10-goal player who dominated American and international polo between the wars. Hitchcock was the standard against which American polo measured itself for a generation, and his death in World War II cut short a career that might have stretched further still.

10. Robert Skene (Argentina/UK, 1918–1980)

One of the sport's most versatile and internationally recognised champions of the post-war era. Skene competed at the highest level on multiple continents, won multiple Argentine Opens, and was respected across the sport for both his technical ability and his sportsmanship.

Who Will Be Next?

The current generation of 10-goalers — **Poroto Cambiaso**, **Facundo Pieres**, **Adolfo Cambiaso** (still active), **Pablo Mac Donough**, and others — will define the rankings of the next decade. Poroto Cambiaso, already at 9-goal before his 20th birthday, appears to have the potential to challenge even his father's records.

What unites polo's greatest players across all eras is their relationship with the horse — an intuitive communication that transcends instruction and enters the realm of something close to art.