The World Cup reaches its final week with two semi-finals: France against Spain, and England against Argentina on Wednesday at 9pm Spanish time. Few fixtures in international football carry as much history as the second.
What is at stake
England are chasing their first World Cup final since they won the tournament on home soil in 1966 — a wait of 60 years. Argentina, the reigning champions after their victory in Qatar in 2022, are trying to become the first team since Brazil in 1962 to retain the trophy, which would give them a fourth star on their shirts.
More than football
The rivalry goes well beyond the pitch. In 1982, Britain and Argentina fought a war over the Falkland Islands — the Malvinas to Argentines — lasting about ten weeks. More than 600 Argentine and around 250 British servicemen were killed, and the conflict left a deep mark on Argentine society.
Mexico 1986
Four years later, the two countries met in the quarter-finals of the World Cup in Mexico, in a match that produced two of the most famous goals ever scored, both by Diego Maradona:
- The “Hand of God”: Maradona punched the ball past goalkeeper Peter Shilton, and the referee allowed the goal.
- The “Goal of the Century”: four minutes later, he picked up the ball in his own half, dribbled past a string of English players and Shilton, and scored one of the greatest solo goals in history.
Gary Lineker pulled one back, but Argentina won 2–1 and went on to lift the trophy.
The World Cup record
| Year | Result |
|---|---|
| 1962 | England 3–1 Argentina (group stage) |
| 1966 | England 1–0 Argentina (quarter-final) |
| 1986 | Argentina 2–1 England (quarter-final) |
| 1998 | 2–2, Argentina won on penalties (last 16) |
| 2002 | England 1–0 Argentina (group stage) |
The 1998 match, in Saint-Étienne, is remembered for Michael Owen’s wonder goal and David Beckham’s red card. In 2002, Beckham scored the winning penalty in Sapporo.
Friendlies
Outside World Cups, the teams have met mainly in friendlies. The last, in Geneva in November 2005, ended 3–2 to England.
The match
Thomas Tuchel’s England arrive with the chance to end six decades of near-misses. Lionel Scaloni’s Argentina, still built around Lionel Messi in what is expected to be his last World Cup, are aiming for a historic double. Whatever happens, it will be a night that adds another chapter to one of football’s most charged rivalries.
