ATLANTA, July 15, (v7n) – England will face Argentina in the World Cup semi-finals on Wednesday, renewing a bitter rivalry that has produced some of the tournament's most iconic and controversial moments since the early 1960s.
1962 – First Round, Rancagua, Chile – England won 3-1 in a match without the controversy that would later define meetings between the two sides. England reached the quarter-finals while Argentina exited early.
1966 – Quarter-Final, Wembley, England – A bad-tempered affair marred by vicious challenges and the sending-off of Argentina captain Antonio Rattin for dissent, who took nearly 10 minutes to leave the pitch. England won 1-0 through Geoff Hurst, with manager Alf Ramsey branding the visitors "animals" and barring his players from shirt-swapping. Rattin died on Saturday at age 89, on the day both teams qualified for the 2026 semi-finals.
1986 – Quarter-Final, Mexico City – Diego Maradona's infamous "Hand of God" goal gave Argentina a 1-0 lead, followed by a dazzling solo second—arguably the greatest goal in World Cup history. Gary Lineker pulled one back, but Argentina won 2-1 and went on to lift the trophy.
1998 – Second Round, St Etienne, France – Michael Owen scored a wonder goal, while David Beckham was sent off for kicking Diego Simeone, who later admitted provoking him. England held on with 10 men but lost on penalties after Sol Campbell's late header was disallowed.
2002 – Group Stage, Sapporo, Japan – Beckham scored a 44th-minute penalty to settle a tense 1-0 victory, deepening Argentina's group-stage exit. England later fell to Brazil in the quarter-finals.
Argentina midfielder Alexis Mac Allister has urged his team to take inspiration from Diego Maradona as they prepare for Wednesday's semi-final showdown in Atlanta.
"I don't know if it's just by chance or what, but in the last few days I have started seeing videos of Diego, of the '86 game... they help and make you want to remember them," said the Liverpool midfielder, whose father Carlos played alongside Maradona.
"Diego represents so much for the country, and I hope we can do something similar to what they did in 1986. He was able to perform things he carried inside him, and it is practically impossible to do those things... Maybe only Leo (Messi) could do that."
The match marks the first World Cup meeting between the nations since 2002, as Argentina aim to reach a second straight final and third in four tournaments. Mac Allister noted that England have not played with Premier League intensity so far, possibly due to heat or climate, but added: "They are a great team who we greatly respect. I imagine tomorrow's game will be played with a lot of intensity and plenty of jitters on both sides."
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