Atlanta, July 14 (IANS) England and Argentina will renew one of the World Cup’s most enduring rivalries when they meet in the FIFA World Cup 2026 semifinal, more than two decades after their last encounter.

The teams have crossed paths five times in the tournament, producing three England victories and two Argentina wins, including one on penalties. Yet the rivalry has never been defined by numbers alone.

Although they first met at the World Cup in 1962, when England won 3-1 in the group stage, the teams laid the rivalry’s foundations at Wembley in the 1966 quarterfinals. England prevailed 1-0 in a match remembered less for Geoff Hurst’s late winner than for the dismissal of Argentina captain Antonio Rattin.

Rattin was sent off for dissent after 35 minutes by West German referee Rudolf Kreitlein and refused to leave the field for several minutes. Many in Argentina believed the dismissal reflected favorable treatment for the host, while England accused Argentina of persistent foul play, reports Xinhua.

The animosity continued after the final whistle when England manager Alf Ramsey stopped George Cohen from exchanging shirts with Alberto Gonzalez.

England went on to lift the trophy, but the ill feeling from that encounter lingered for decades.

The rivalry reached its defining moment 20 years later at Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium.

Diego Maradona scored both goals in Argentina’s 2-1 quarterfinal victory, the first with his hand and the second after dribbling past several England players and beating goalkeeper Peter Shilton.

The two goals, separated by only four minutes, came to represent the contrasting sides of Maradona’s genius. One infamously became known as the “Hand of God” and the other is widely regarded as one of the finest in World Cup history. Gary Lineker pulled a goal back, but Argentina held on and went on to win the title.

Another knockout meeting in France 12 years later brought fresh controversy and drama. Michael Owen scored a brilliant solo goal, but David Beckham was sent off early in the second half for kicking out at Diego Simeone. England recovered to force extra time before Argentina advanced 4-3 on penalties.

Beckham became the focus of fierce criticism in England, while Simeone later acknowledged that he had exaggerated the impact of the incident.

Their next World Cup meeting, during the group stage in 2002, offered Beckham a measure of redemption. He converted a penalty after Mauricio Pochettino was judged to have fouled Owen, giving England a 1-0 victory in Sapporo.

That remains their most recent competitive game. England and Argentina last faced each other in a 2005 friendly in Geneva, though the word “friendly” has rarely seemed an appropriate description of meetings between the teams. England won 3-2 after two late Owen goals.

An 18-year-old Lionel Messi missed that match through suspension after having been sent off on his Argentina debut against Hungary three months earlier. Despite an international career spanning more than two decades, Messi has never played against England.

It is just one of many curiosities surrounding a fixture whose story will gain another chapter on Wednesday.

–IANS

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