England vs Argentina at the World Cup is a fixture any football fan should be excited for.
Meetings between the two footballing giants tend to be anything but boring, and Wednesday’s semi-final promises to be the latest instalment in one of international football’s fiercest rivalries.
There is also the added bonus that it will be Lionel Messi’s first time facing England — he will be raring to go.
But before that box-office clash, let’s look back on why the rivalry with Argentina is so heated. It all starts back in 1966. It was England’s year.
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1966: “Animals”, Rattin and shade to the queen
During England’s 1-0 World Cup quarter-final win over Argentina at Wembley, captain Antonio Rattín was sent off for dissent by German referee Rudolf Kreitlein, despite claiming he couldn’t understand why.
Refusing to leave, Rattín had to be escorted off by police before sitting defiantly on the red carpet reserved for Queen Elizabeth II.
After the match, England manager Alf Ramsey famously branded Argentina’s players “animals” and stopped his team exchanging shirts.
1986: The Hand of God
Twenty years later came the rivalry’s most infamous chapter. Just four years after the Falklands War, Diego Maradona admitted emotions ran high.
And it materialized on the pitch. Maradona’s infamous “Hand of God” goal — punched past Peter Shilton but missed by officials — gave Argentina the lead before he produced the “Goal of the Century”, weaving past five England players and the keeper.
Argentina won 2-1, he later described the opener as “a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God.” It remains one of the tournament’s most controversial moments ever.
1998: Beckham’s red mist
England’s World Cup meeting with Argentina in Saint-Étienne produced another tense encounter. Shortly after half-time, David Beckham reacted to a foul by Diego Simeone with a petulant kick from the ground.
The minimal contact was enough for Simeone to ensure referee Kim Milton Nielsen noticed, and Beckham was sent off.
England held on for penalties before losing the shootout, while Beckham became a national villain overnight, enduring months of abuse that defined the early part of his career.
2002: Beckham’s redemption
Four years later Beckham got his chance to rewrite the story. When England were awarded a penalty against Argentina in the World Cup group stage, there was little doubt who would take it.
Beckham calmly converted the decisive spot-kick in a 1-0 victory, later saying he knew “that was my moment to step up.”
His emotional celebration reflected more than just three points — it marked redemption after the trauma of 1998, with Beckham admitting it felt like the moment England fans had finally forgiven him.
2026: Messi’s first England meeting
Remarkably, despite a career spanning two decades, Lionel Messi has never faced England at senior international level.
Wednesday’s semi-final will see the 39-year-old look to continue a frankly incredible World Cup campaign. With Kylian Mbappe out of the picture, a goal should be enough to secure him a first-ever Golden Boot.
Aside from Lionel Messi, which Argentina player scares you the most and why?
Messi will play against England for the first time in his career 😯
From a footballing perspective, this promises to be a gripping tie. But the wider context of these two nations’ bitter rivalry makes this one all the more enticing. What will the next chapter read like?
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