Argentina and England are set to meet again in a World Cup semifinal. The history of this, one of football’s most intense rivalries, holds countless dramatic moments, controversial decisions and memorable events. Ahead of such a big contest, Argentina have lost their former captain Antonio Rattin, who died a few days ago at the age of 89. The two arch-rivals last met in a friendly in 2005, which England won 3-2, while their last competitive meeting was at the 2002 World Cup. Nearly 24 years on, the two sides are meeting again on the World Cup stage. Here is a look back at five much-discussed chapters of this rivalry.
At the 1966 World Cup quarterfinal at Wembley, Argentina captain Antonio Rattin was ordered off by German referee Rudolf Kreitlein. Because of a language barrier he asked for an interpreter to explain the decision, but none was provided, and when he refused to leave, play was halted for about 10 minutes before police came onto the pitch to escort him off. There were no yellow or red cards in football at the time, and the incident is considered one of the main reasons the card system was later introduced.
At a 1977 friendly at La Bombonera, the contest again turned heated. Late in the match, in response to a hard tackle by England’s Trevor Cherry, Argentina’s Daniel Bertoni punched him directly in the face, breaking two of Cherry’s front teeth. Both were shown red cards, with Cherry becoming the first England footballer to be sent off in an international friendly.
At the 2002 World Cup, the sides’ last competitive meeting also produced controversy. Late in the first half, referee Pierluigi Collina awarded a penalty for a foul on Michael Owen by Argentina’s Mauricio Pochettino, and David Beckham scored from it to give England a 1-0 win. Years later, while coaching Tottenham, Pochettino claimed Owen had dived and that he had not touched him. At the 1998 World Cup round of 16, another memorable match saw David Beckham sent off for kicking out after a clash with Diego Simeone; 10-man England took the match to a penalty shootout but lost 4-3, a defeat that remains one of the most painful memories in England’s World Cup history.
The most talked-about chapter of the Argentina-England rivalry is undoubtedly the 1986 World Cup quarterfinal. With the game goalless, Diego Maradona rose with Peter Shilton and put the ball into the net with his hand; when the referee allowed the goal, football’s famous “Hand of God” moment was born. Just four minutes later, Maradona scored one of the greatest goals in history, carrying the ball from his own half, beating one England player after another and then the goalkeeper — a goal later recognised as the “Goal of the Century.” Argentina won the match 2-1 and reached the semifinals, going on to win the World Cup for the second time that year.
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