England will face Argentina in Wednesday's World Cup semi-final in Atlanta in what will be the sixth meeting between the two nations at the FIFA World Cup—an emotionally charged fixture shaped by both football and politics.
Their first World Cup meeting came in Chile in 1962, when England beat Argentina 3-1 in the group stage. They met again four years later at the 1966 World Cup in England, where the hosts won 1-0 in the quarter-finals on their way to lifting the trophy.
The two sides would not meet again until the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. However, before that tournament, the two countries fought the 74-day Falklands War in 1982 over the Falkland Islands, known in Argentina as Islas Malvinas.
The conflict began when Argentine forces invaded the islands, claiming they had inherited them from Spain after gaining independence in the early 19th century. Britain, however, has administered the islands continuously since 1833 and maintains that the people living there identify as British and wish to remain a British Overseas Territory.
Britain dispatched a naval task force to retake the islands, and the conflict claimed more than 900 lives before ending with Argentina's surrender. Although the Falkland Islands remain a self-governing British Overseas Territory, Argentina continues to claim sovereignty over them.
That political backdrop added extra intensity to their 1986 World Cup quarter-final. Argentina's Diego Maradona famously scored the opening goal with his hand before later describing it as scored "a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God"—giving birth to the iconic "Hand of God" phrase. Argentina went on to eliminate England and eventually won the World Cup.
The rivalry continued at the 1998 World Cup in France, where England's David Beckham was sent off in a dramatic Round of 16 clash that ended 2-2 before Argentina progressed 4-3 on penalties.
Their last World Cup meeting before the 2026 tournament came at the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan, where England secured a 1-0 group-stage victory. Neither side won that tournament, with Brazil lifting the trophy.
The rivals now meet again in Atlanta, but for many Argentines, the Malvinas issue remains deeply emotional. Argentine fans have continued to reference the islands whenever the two nations meet, often singing songs in memory of those who died during the 1982 conflict, keeping the political dimension of one of football's fiercest rivalries alive.