The matches have become legendary in soccer lore. On Wednesday, Argentina and England will once again face off on the World Cup stage. This time, however, it’s a semi-final—a prized opportunity to advance to Sunday’s final.
This encounter will echo with both historical significance and a deep-rooted football rivalry that spans decades.
The recent passing of former Argentine footballer Antonio Rattin has rekindled memories of one of the earliest clashes between these nations.
In 1966, they met in a World Cup quarter-final during England’s hosting of the tournament. Rattin, the Argentine captain, was ejected from the game. As he left the field, he seized a corner flag emblazoned with the British flag and proceeded to sit on a red carpet meant for Queen Elizabeth, refusing to exit. English fans reportedly hurled beer cans at him, as he later recounted.
Emotions were high on the field throughout the match, which concluded with a 1-0 victory for England, who went on to win the tournament. Following the match, England manager Alf Ramsey infamously referred to the Argentine players as “animals.”
That insult remains etched in Argentina’s memory.
Two decades later, at Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca, the teams met again in another World Cup quarter-final. Their nations had experienced a brief war over the South Atlantic islands, known as the Falklands to the British and Malvinas to the Argentines, in 1982. The conflict cost the lives of 649 Argentine soldiers and 255 British servicemen, and emotions remained raw.
In this match, the late Diego Maradona, one of soccer’s all-time greats, netted two goals against England, leading to their elimination from the tournament.
The second goal was a masterpiece, crafted through a dazzling run where he dribbled past nearly the entire English squad. The first, however, was controversial—a handball that became known as the “Hand of God” goal, a decision that would likely be overturned by today’s VAR standards.
For Maradona and many Argentines, it wasn’t seen as cheating but rather a victory for the underdog over the elite.
Maradona shared in his autobiography, “El Diego”: “More than just defeating a football team, it felt like defeating a country. Although we claimed that football had nothing to do with the Malvinas War, we understood that many Argentine children had perished there, shot down like little birds. This was our way of avenging them.”
Historical resentment
The relationship between Britain and Argentina has long been a turbulent blend of admiration and animosity. British immigrants, primarily railway workers, introduced soccer to Argentina in the 19th century, a legacy still evident in team names—like River Plate or Lionel Messi’s former club, Newell’s Old Boys.
However, Argentine football evolved in the streets or on crowded, dusty “potrero” pitches rather than on supervised school fields, according to Jonathan Wilson, author of “Angels With Dirty Faces: The Footballing History of Argentina.”
“Since the 1920s, an origin myth for Argentine football has emerged, rooted in virtuosity, self-reliance, and cunning rather than the mundane fair play associated with the British,” he noted.
The British also contributed banking, investment, and railroads, facilitating the export of beef and other products from the pampas, creating a nearly colonial dynamic. Other sports, such as polo and rugby, followed suit and are still played at a high standard in Argentina today.
However, this relationship often felt lopsided, and resentment toward the Anglophile elite began to brew even as the British gradually retreated in the mid-20th century.
After 1986, the next World Cup encounter occurred in 1998, at the round of 16, remembered mainly for David Beckham’s red card. Argentina triumphed after a penalty shootout. Four years later, Beckham helped England secure a group-stage victory over Argentina, marking their last World Cup meeting.
No comments on this historical rivalry have arisen from the England squad, while Argentine players have largely brushed off the topic in public. With more players now based in Europe, some of the sharper differences have dulled, Wilson remarked.
“It’s just a soccer match. Period. There’s nothing more to it,” Argentine coach Lionel Scaloni stated after Argentina’s victory over Switzerland secured their semi-final spot against England. “Let’s not complicate things.”
However, right after the final whistle, the players celebrated with their supporters by jumping and singing a popular chant echoing throughout Buenos Aires: “If you don’t jump, you’re English.”
Back in the locker room, social media videos showcased players singing a newer chant vowing revenge for the World Cup they believe was “stolen” from them in 1994, when Maradona was dismissed from the U.S.-hosted tournament due to a drug test failure. The lyrics express a sentiment for “the Malvinas, for Diego, for Leo (Messi)’s last.”
“This undeniably carries a lot of weight and brings back many memories because of what Diego (Maradona) accomplished and the events of that time,” Argentine midfielder Rodrigo De Paul remarked to reporters.
“But we must recognize that this is a soccer match… Above all, we aim to win and reach the final.”
