International career
Banega was selected for the U20 team, alongside future Atlético teammate Sergio Agüero for the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Canada, which they won.
Soon after joining Valencia in January 2008, Banega made his debut for the Argentina national team, in a 5–0 friendly win over Guatemala, on February 6, 2008, which he started.[8] During that summer, he appeared for the nation with the Olympic side at the Summer Olympics, helping to an eventual gold medal