England vs Argentina: Inside 60 Years of World Cup Rivalry
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- England and Argentina face off Wednesday in a World Cup semifinal — their first World Cup meeting since 2002 and first overall since a 3-2 England friendly win in 2005
- The 1966 Wembley quarterfinal led FIFA to introduce yellow and red cards after Argentina captain Antonio Rattin, who died Saturday at 89, refused to leave the pitch and sat on Queen Elizabeth II's red carpet in protest
- Maradona's 51st-minute 'Hand of God' goal in the 1986 quarterfinal — punching the ball past Peter Shilton — preceded a stunning individual second goal in a 2-0 Argentina win; Maradona later called it 'symbolic revenge against the English'
- Argentina's Oscar Ruggeri revealed Maradona's pre-match 1986 pep talk invoked the Falklands: "'Come on, lads, they killed a bunch of our kids,'" with players receiving fan videos urging them to just win
- David Beckham was sent off for kicking Diego Simeone during the 1998 round of 16; England lost 4-3 on penalties after a 2-2 draw, with Simeone later admitting he 'took advantage' of Beckham's reaction
- Peter Shilton told ESPN he never forgave Maradona for the cheating, saying the Argentine 'never apologized' and instead used his 'hand of God' line
Why it matters: With both nations in FIFA's top four, Wednesday's first World Cup meeting in 23 years carries weight beyond sport — Argentina's 1986 win was framed by Maradona as 'symbolic revenge' for the Falklands, and the rivalry has already prompted a FIFA rule change after the 1966 Wembley walkout.
