ATLANTA — England and Argentina will square off in the World Cup semifinal in Atlanta on Wednesday, reigniting a bitter international rivalry.
In the back half of the 20th century, practically every time these prideful footballing nations met, something explosive happened. There were controversial ejections and legendary goals set against the backdrop of seething political tensions.
In 1982, Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands, or the Islas Malvinas, a group of islands off the coast of Argentina in the Southern Atlantic, which was then under British control. England swiftly won the war in two months as Argentina bore the brunt of the bloodshed. The Falklands are still part of the United Kingdom today, though Argentina continues to dispute the matter.
Four years after the war, the countries met in an intense faceoff on the pitch in the 1986 World Cup quarterfinal match on a hot day at Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca. Argentina’s Diego Maradona scored both the “Hand of God” goal and then, minutes later, what is widely considered one of the greatest goals in soccer history. Books, Wikipedia pages, and YouTube videos with millions of views are dedicated to this match alone.
The last time England and Argentina met in the World Cup was in 2002, before England star Jude Bellingham was born. The two countries last saw one another in an international friendly in 2005, which Argentina’s Lionel Messi missed due to a red card, so the superstar has never played England.
