Handballs, Red Cards and Revenge: England vs Argentina Through the Years

It is a reflection of how long it has been since England played Argentina in any capacity that Wednesday’s World Cup 2026 semi-final will be Lionel Messi’s first appearance in this fixture.

The Argentina great made his international debut in August 2005 and has played more than 200 times for his country since — but has never faced England. He might have played the last time they met, in a November 2005 friendly, but he was suspended, having bizarrely been sent off less than a minute after coming off the bench for his Argentina debut just a few months earlier. He has not had another chance since, as the two nations have not faced each other in the 21 years that have followed — until now.

A Rivalry Forged in History

This is a rivalry steeped in history. That 2005 friendly epitomised how much it means to both sides to get one over the other — an epic encounter played in Geneva was won 3-2 by England after two late goals from Michael Owen. The late turnaround was celebrated wildly, even though it was essentially a meaningless game.

In the 11 World Cups between 1962 and 2002, the two sides faced off five times. They did not meet once in the five tournaments leading up to 2026.

The stakes, the results and the many on-field controversies over the years were enough to forge a fierce rivalry — but the competition was only heightened by political tensions. The Falklands War, fought in 1982 over the Falkland Islands situated just off the Argentine coast in the South Atlantic Ocean, stoked matters on both sides. Argentina fans still reference the war in some of their chants, and some players have been filmed joining in with those songs.

There is also an additional subplot to Wednesday’s semi-final that deserves acknowledgement. The man who gave away the controversial 2002 penalty to Michael Owen — Mauricio Pochettino — is now the England manager. He will be in the dugout on Wednesday attempting to mastermind a victory over the nation whose colours he wore for that infamous moment. Football rarely produces such neat narrative circles.

1962: Where It Began

The first World Cup meeting came in the 1962 group stage — and it was a straightforward affair. England won with relative ease, going three goals up before a late Argentina consolation. It was an uneventful game by the standards of what would follow, but it planted the seed of a rivalry that would grow into one of football’s most combustible.

England 1–0 Argentina — Quarter-Final, 1966

England and Argentina met at Wembley in the quarter-final of the 1966 tournament — the first World Cup Opta have been able to analyse in full. The data from that game shows just how fiercely fought it was.

It was a tempestuous and disjointed affair, low on quality — shots were constantly taken from distance, reflected in how low the xG was for both teams — and broken up constantly by free-kicks.

The biggest flashpoint came late in the first half, when referee Rudolf Kreitlein’s patience ran out with the persistent fouling and dissent of Argentine captain Antonio Rattin. After a succession of warnings, Kreitlein gave the midfielder his marching orders — but Rattin refused to leave the pitch, claiming he did not understand the German referee. Chaos ensued, and a police escort was needed to remove Rattin from the pitch.

The incident is said to have been a significant factor in the subsequent introduction of yellow and red cards into football — to reduce the chances of any such confusion recurring. The idea that one of the most important rule changes in the history of the game was partly sparked by an England vs Argentina match tells you everything about the intensity of this rivalry.

England moaned about Argentina’s underhand tactics after the game — things like pulling hair on the back of the neck and spitting — but England committed 36 of the 56 fouls themselves. These numbers may miss unpunished foul play, of which there was likely plenty, but the total is high enough to show England were far from innocent in making this an intensely scrappy game.

Geoff Hurst scored the only goal — heading in a cross from Martin Peters in the 77th minute.

Argentina 2–1 England — Quarter-Final, 1986

In World Cup history, 3,012 goals have been scored. One stands out as the most controversial of the lot.

In Opta’s World Cup record books since 1966, only 11 goals have been scored with body parts other than the feet or head. Diego Maradona scored one of those goals — rising above England goalkeeper Peter Shilton to punch the ball into the net with the Hand of God.

This game came four years after the Falklands War, so tensions were already heightened. But Maradona’s act left England incandescent. The truth is that while England view it as one of football’s great injustices, Argentina were the far better side. They were out of sight by the time England showed any signs of life — England had managed only four attempts when Maradona put Argentina 2-0 up 10 minutes into the second half. Gary Lineker’s late goal was too little, too late.

England simply could not handle Maradona. His combined total of dribbles completed (10) and fouls won (7) is the sixth highest by any player in a single World Cup game on record — and two of the five above him are Maradona himself from earlier in that same tournament.

His second goal — picking the ball up in his own half and dribbling all the way through to score — produced the third-longest carry leading to a goal (54.4 metres) at any World Cup since 1966. It remains one of the greatest goals the tournament has ever seen.

Argentina 2–2 England (4–3 on Penalties) — Round of 16, 1998

The pain of 1986 was still raw enough that this game, 12 years on, felt very much like a grudge match. Glenn Hoddle — on the losing side in Mexico City — was now England’s manager, desperate for revenge.

This turned out to be a World Cup classic, played at a breathtaking pace — and it had everything, much of which was crammed into an action-packed first half.

Argentina went ahead with a penalty, only for England to equalise with one of their own moments later — won, notably, by a teenage Michael Owen. Owen then did his own Maradona impression, scoring following the 11th-longest carry leading to a goal on record in the World Cup (35.3 metres) to put England in front.

Paul Scholes missed a huge chance to put England 3-1 up just before Argentina equalised with a well-worked set-piece routine. Classic Argentina — they have scored more goals from indirect free-kicks (nine) than any other team in World Cup history since 1966.

In total, the teams generated 3.15 xG before half-time — the 15th highest in a World Cup game and fifth highest ever in a knockout match, which can often be cagey affairs.

The second half saw fewer chances — partly because Sol Campbell’s header was ruled out for a foul by Alan Shearer — but also because England went down to 10 men when David Beckham was sent off. Only eight fixtures in World Cup history have produced more red cards than games between England and Argentina. Argentina prevailed on penalties.

Argentina 0–1 England — Group Stage, 2002

Four years later, drawn together in the group stage, England took their chance — and ensured this was a far less eventful game than their 1998 encounter.

England had just 35.5% possession — their third-lowest in a World Cup game on record. The only games in which they have had lower possession are against Mexico in 2026 and against Argentina in 1998, when they played with 10 men for most of the second half and extra time. This makes 2002 their lowest-ever possession in a World Cup game without having a player sent off.

Argentina had chances worth a lower xG in the entire game (1.16) than they did in the first half alone of their 1998 meeting (1.32) — a measure of how effectively England kept them at arm’s length.

There was understandable Argentine frustration at the penalty awarded — won by Owen under the attention of Mauricio Pochettino. Replays suggested minimal contact. Owen admitted years later that the penalties he won in both 1998 and 2002 were soft.

“Could I have stayed up? Yes, probably,” he said in 2012.

England have only ever received one card for simulation in their World Cup history on record since 1966. It might not exactly have been the Hand of God — but Argentina will certainly have felt hard done by.

The Pochettino subplot adds another layer to Wednesday’s semi-final. The man who gave away that controversial penalty in Sapporo is now the England manager — sitting in the opposite dugout to the nation he represented that day, attempting to lead England to a World Cup final. Few rivalries produce storylines quite like this one.

The 2026 Meeting: Everything at Stake

Beyond the fact that they are playing for a spot in the World Cup 2026 final, the teams come into this meeting with many reasons to want to get one over their long-time rivals.

It is an opportunity for revenge for past injustices on both sides. It is a chance to prove footballing superiority. Argentina will also want to honour the memory of Rattin — who passed away on Saturday at the age of 89, just days before this semi-final — and Maradona, their legendary forward who tormented England 40 years ago. Many England fans will still feel that the 2002 group-stage victory does not suffice as adequate revenge for a knockout defeat.

And then there is Messi — making his first appearance in the fixture after 21 years of waiting, stepping into a rivalry that has produced police escorts, the Hand of God, red cards, controversial penalties and some of the most dramatic football the World Cup has ever witnessed.

He should expect an eventful introduction.

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