Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 03:47am on 14 Jul 2026,Tuesday Sports
England and Argentina renew one of football’s fiercest rivalries in the FIFA World Cup semi-final, with Lionel Messi facing England for the first time. Their World Cup history spans six decades, blending sporting drama with political tensions rooted in the Falklands War. England lead the head-to-head 3-2 across five World Cup meetings. The rivalry began in 1962, intensified after the controversial 1966 quarter-final featuring Antonio Rattin’s dismissal, reached its peak in 1986 with Diego Maradona’s infamous “Hand of God” and stunning solo goal, continued through David Beckham’s red card and England’s penalty defeat in 1998, before Beckham’s redemption inspired England’s 1-0 victory over Argentina in the 2002 group stage.
