One of football’s most fierce and venomous rivalries will be reignited when England face Argentina in a World Cup semi-final that will mark the two great enemies of football’s first clash in more than two decades.
The Three Lions’ heated showdown with Argentina in Atlanta on Wednesday will mark the next instalment of a saga that extends far beyond the football pitch. Remarkably, it will also represent the first occasion Lionel Messi – the world’s best player and arguably the greatest of all time – has ever faced England.
It’s a strange anomaly that seems almost impossible. But he is poised to confront England on the grandest platform, the World Cup semi-final, as the reigning champions go head-to-head with Thomas Tuchel’s squad.
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This marks England’s second semi-final appearance in the past three World Cups, yet prior to this run, they hadn’t reached the final four since 1990. This represents Argentina’s seventh World Cup semi-final – and they’ve progressed on all six previous attempts. They are habitual champions.
Yet England-Argentina stands apart as a unique encounter. There’s immense passion and raw emotion coursing through it due to history, political friction and, naturally, Diego Maradona’s Hand of God strike.
In 1986, Maradona drew upon the Falklands War as his motivation and drive to secure some form of retribution against England. The animosity boiled over at the Azteca Stadium as Maradona viewed it as justification for his notorious handball.
Much has changed since those days. But the footballing animosity remains.
There will be an edge amongst the supporters that will only enhance the spectacle. And there’s real needle between the players too.
Argentina celebrated their quarter-final triumph with a dressing room song mentioning Malvinas – the Argentinian name for the Falklands.
“For the Malvinas, for Diego, For Leo’s last one, Argentina, I want to see you become back-to-back champions. I’m a supporter of the national team, I cheer them on with all my heart. We won the third one with Lionel, now we want to be champions again.”
England last faced Argentina in a friendly in Geneva in November 2005 when England triumphed 3-2 courtesy of strikes from Wayne Rooney and a Michael Owen brace.
The encounter before that came at the 2002 World Cup when David Beckham’s spot-kick secured victory in Sapporo. But that was tame in comparison. In 1998, England were knocked out on penalties by Argentina following David Beckham’s red card for lashing out at Diego Simeone.
England defeated Argentina en route to lifting the 1966 World Cup. Across 14 clashes, England have prevailed six times, there have been five stalemates and Argentina have triumphed just twice. Though after it ended 2-2 in the 1998 World Cup, Argentina progressed on penalties.
That’s remarkable given Argentina’s footballing heritage. They’ve claimed the World Cup three times – 1978, 1986 and 2022 – which speaks volumes about their mindset.
They’re champions, they possess a formidable underdog mentality and that runs through their veins, their DNA and their football. This will be a clash brimming with emotion, history and intensity.
This represents the ultimate examination for England against the defending world champions. They were allegedly not a vintage Argentina squad. Yet they still claimed victory. They simply discovered a method.
They relish getting one over on the English. There exists such a powerful bond between legendary Argentinian players and English football. From the era of Ossie Ardiles, Ricky Villa right through to Carlos Tevez, Sergio Aguero and the endearing Mauricio Pochettino.
However, when it comes to football, ancient feuds persist. Argentina supporters are amongst the most fervent you’ll encounter. They have descended upon Kansas City in their tens of thousands for their quarter-final clash with Switzerland.
Their squad headquarters is also situated there, with thousands of Argentinians relocating to Atlanta, and they adore antagonising English fans.
The previous occasion I visited Argentina, I was advised against speaking English beyond the Boca Juniors stadium when I attended a match. It cuts profound. This transcends mere football. It never has been for Argentina. It represents their entire existence. They are convinced they will capture the World Cup.
They have certainly not been at their peak. They battled past Switzerland’s ten men and were forced to mount a spectacular fightback against Egypt.
Yet when it concerns England. Something invariably awakens. They will be prepared and lying in wait.