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Rivalries in football often exist for particular reasons. It is not that they are simplistic, but rather we understand why they are there. Like Liverpool’s rivalry with Everton or the Superclásico between Boca Juniors and River Plate, local derbies are contested and contested based on a turf war that has placed them close together but, in reality, never that far apart. They are neighbors who loathe each other and nothing will ever change that.
It is different on the international stage, where significant cultural and political moments in history create rivalries so fierce that they span generations. Take the Clásico del Pacífico between Chile and Peru, which stemmed from a war in the 1800s, as an example. As my father taught me at a very early age, Peruvians say the word “Chalaca” instead of “Chilena” to describe a bicycle kick, as Perú refuses to believe that a Spanish-born Chilean invented the acrobatic move, crediting it to Afro-Peruvians from a time that was never recorded.
But I digress. My point is that rivalries in the beautiful game usually have a connective tissue that lives on in the mindset of every supporter, where history and geography paint a picture of a fierce battle on the field.
Nevertheless, there is one rivalry so deep that it stands above others. It is both delicate and purposeful, as it stems from war, social and cultural enmity from two continents and ways of life, but at the same time – but it has also given us some of the most memorable, dramatic moments of the football World Cup.
It’s a rivalry made of thorns, rooted in years of resentment, where stars also seem to rise out of violent moments of action.
This is Argentina and England. A match like no other.
Following Argentina’s victory over Switzerland and England’s victory over Norway, both meet in Atlanta on Wednesday for a majestic semi-final where the past meets the present. The fact that, incredibly, this will also be Lionel Messi’s first ever meeting against the Three Lions is probably a secondary headline.
This is, after all, a battle of ghosts, born in 1962, but one that grew in animosity as the years went by, and four years later, in 1966, that’s when the brand was founded.
England v Argentina at the 1966 World Cup. (Photo by Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
It was the last and only time England won the World Cup. The hosts came out victorious against Argentina in the quarter-finals, but it was a game of full physicality, with Argentina captain Antonio Rattín (sadly passed away this month aged 89) sent off in the first half for two fouls in the space of three minutes. This match was so fierce that England manager Alf Ramsey decided to call the opponents “animals” and did not want his players to change shirts at the end of the match.
It was also a match that essentially introduced the yellow and red cards, knowing all too well that something had to be done to tone down the heat.
A rivalry rooted in enmity when the 1966 match turned sour. (Photo by S&G/PA Images via Getty Images)
Good luck with that.
The 1986 World Cup in México saw the arrival of the legendary Diego Maradona, but most notably this was now a quarter-final between both sides that followed the Falklands War – something so profoundly influential for both sides, but for Argentina – this was the fall of a military government, which ushered in a new democracy in 1983, than anything could have had a catastrophic impact out of war, and something we could ever have a catastrophic impact on. imagine now played the role of protagonist.
Diego Maradona had an iconic game against England. (Photo by Etsuo Hara/Getty Images)
As a result, the 1986 game brought the eternal memory of the Hand of God, where in the 51st minute, still scoreless, the 5-foot-5 Maradona out-jumped England stopper Peter Shilton and used his hand to knock the ball out of Shilton’s reach and into the net. Despite aggressive appeals from England, the goal stood, which went on for Maradona to score a second goal four minutes later, one of the greatest works of art you’ll ever see on the pitch.
Maradona and Argentina would end up winning the World Cup, and the star would later in life acknowledge that it was a deliberate handball, but most importantly, it was not just a goal he was celebrating – but a piece of symbolic revenge for the fallen soldiers of the Falkland Islands. This would only make him an even greater icon and hero for the Argentines and a despised rival in England.
After this moment of history at the World Cup, it is fair to say that something remained imprinted on both nations. This was now a rivalry that goes beyond football. It was a matter of life and death. Maybe they mean different things to each other, but the cauldron continued to grow and that’s when – 12 years later – David Beckham entered the narrative.
David Beckham has played a role in the rivalry between Argentina and England. (Photo by Tony Marshall/EMPICS via Getty Images)
In 1998, at the World Cup in France, the golden boy from England and the three lions met Argentina in the round of 16. I remember this match so clearly. I was at boarding school and my friends and I fled to a local pub and watched it, hiding behind the crowd of adults screaming at the television, when Beckham kicked out at Diego Simeone after a clash and was sent off in the 48th minute. It was a moment of madness, beautifully executed by Simeone, that broke the hearts of England fans who had already seen an 18-year-old Michael Owen score one of the greatest goals in English football history. But that was before the red card.
We can only remember the post-mortem and how it vilified Beckham and put a dent in England’s development as it lost on penalties. For Argentina? Once again it was revenge. Redemption. Historic reconciliation.
But four years later in Japan, in the group stages of the 2002 World Cup, Beckham would get his sense of salvation after scoring a penalty which consequently came as a result of a foul by Mauricio Pochettino on the aforementioned Owen. Beckham sealed the spot kick and the Three Lions would secure the win. A Round of 16 victory against Denmark would follow before they eventually lost to Ronaldinho’s audacious free-kick and Brazil’s magical side in the quarter-finals.
David Beckham played against Argentina in two World Cup editions. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)
And so here we are. 24 years later. The rivalry returns to the biggest stages and despite many youngsters not even having a memory of this conflict, it’s fair to say they will know by Wednesday at the latest.
Argentina fans – and the team – have revived their call to arms in song as La Cuarta Estrella (“The Fourth Star”) has become synonymous with this team. The song says:
By Malvinas, by El Diego (“For the Falkland Islands, for Diego”),
Por la última de Leo (“To Leo’s Last”)
Argentina quiero verte bicampeón (“Argentina, I want to see you back-to-back champion”).
There could be an argument to be made that this rivalry means more to Argentina than England. For the losses and the pain, the makeup thread of the country and what history has done – or rather undone – to them. And there is the team itself, which wears emotions on its sleeve and kills it itself for victory.
But I also think that the English team is just as stressed. Full of fire and poison. It’s a team that has already faced incredible hostility and extreme conditions. From defeating Mexico at the Azteca to enduring hot and humid conditions in Miami against Erling Haaland’s Norway. So they understand the challenge. They know the task and the current efforts. Most importantly, they realize that Argentina, despite showing a few vulnerabilities during this World Cup, are still the defending champions for a reason.
Lionel Scaloni is trying to tone down the line-up and the historical connotations of the rivalry, but he knows all too well that this will not happen.
Then there is Messi himself, who is ready to face England at international level for the first time ever. The greatest player the game has ever seen carries his country on his shoulders, with Diego Maradona, Rattín and other lost heroes watching from above. As he continues to deliver in this final dance, now comes the biggest, most emotional game of all: a game against England.
It doesn’t escape me to remember that he is also facing his Inter Miami boss as David Beckham will be watching from the stands.
Before the game, I’m sure they will wish each other luck and remember the similarities that both nations share. These are the same commonalities that are mutually loved by Argentina and England. From Oasis to The Beatles, the warmth of loyalty in football itself and appreciation of the beauty and struggle of the game. The shared respect is as potent as the historical animosities that brought us here in the first place.
But know this. On Wednesday, in Atlanta, with both staring each other down on the pitch and preparing to fight for every ball, tackle and effort towards victory, Argentina and England will remind us why football is so much more valuable than social media highlights or glamorous images of celebrities watching a match in the luxury of a suite.
England v Argentina is about love and hate, fallen heroes and newfound saviors. It is about the present but also the past, both eternally linked with the memories of pain and sacrifice. This is an arrangement where you appreciate what you have thanks to the guardians who brought you to this moment. But this is also a battle of fierce competition, with the hope that you carry the identity of your nation at the top of your heart, run through your veins and never forget that this rivalry can only exist because you have each other.
