The 2026 World Cup semifinal between England and Argentina is not just about soccer. It is the latest chapter in one of the sport's most emotionally charged rivalries, a rivalry that has produced unforgettable moments, none more legendary than the 1986 World Cup quarterfinal, a match that gave us both the "Hand of God" and the "Goal of the Century." But the story has never been confined to the pitch. Few people embodied that connection more than Diego Armando Maradona, probably the greatest player in the history of the game. He once offered a quote that captured how deeply history shaped his view of the relationship between the two countries. Recalling an invitation to meet the then-Prince Charles in Emir Kusturica's 2008 documentary Maradona by Kusturica, he said: "One day they wanted to introduce me to Prince Charles. I said no. I would never shake a hand with so much blood in it. Never." To understand why Maradona felt that way, and why an England vs. Argentina match still carries significance beyond the sport, we need to go back to the 19th century and later in 1982, four years before the 1986 World Cup. The Falkland War (Malvinas)In Argentina, the Falkland Islands are known as the Islas Malvinas. To understand why matches between England and Argentina carry so much weight, it's necessary to look beyond the sport. The Malvinas are located 300 miles off Argentina's Atlantic coast and over the 17th and 18th centuries, they changed hands several times during the colonial era, as they were controlled by France before Spain. Britain also established a settlement in 1765 and kept control over the years until 1816, when Argentina claimed their independence from Spain and also declared their rights to take over the control of the islands. It all escalated in 1833 when Britain sent naval forces to remove the Argentine authorities from the islands and controlled the Falklands since then, while the South American country always considered the takeover as illegal. For almost a century, the dispute remained diplomatic, that is, until 1982.