England-Argentina World Cup rivalry revived through memories of 1966, 1986 and 1998

ATLANTA: As England and Argentina get set to meet in the World Cup semi-finals on Wednesday, recollections from people who witnessed some of the rivalry’s most memorable flashpoints offer a look back at a contest shaped by drama on and off the pitch.

According to Reuters, few World Cup matchups have produced as many enduring moments as England against Argentina, with incidents from 1966, 1986 and 1998 becoming part of the wider political and cultural history of both countries.

1966 quarter-final at Wembley

Rex Gowar, who was born and raised in Argentina and later completed secondary school in England, was inside Wembley for the 1966 World Cup quarter-final. He said he and two friends had bought tickets without knowing for certain that England would face Argentina.

The decisive episode came in the first half when Argentina midfielder Antonio Rattin was sent off. The match was delayed for several minutes as he refused to leave the field. Recalling the scene, Gowar said:

“We were all so surprised by what happened,” Gowar said. “Rattin was haranguing the referee all the time, asking for explanations of why he kept blowing against Argentina for fouls.

“We were behind the goal, where the teams came out, so when Rattin eventually sauntered off, he passed in front of us before going down the tunnel.

Gowar said the lasting image for him from that match was England manager Alf Ramsey calling the Argentines animals and a photograph showing him stopping one of his players from swapping shirts with an Argentine opponent. England won the game 1-0 through Geoff Hurst and went on to win the World Cup.

1986 and the Hand of God

The teams met again in another quarter-final 20 years later at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, four years after Argentina and Britain had fought a war over the islands known by the British as the Falklands and by Argentines as the Malvinas.

Photographer Gary Hershorn, who was working at his first World Cup, said the broader political backdrop was impossible to ignore.

“It was in everybody’s mind that there was a bigger geopolitical scale to this game than any other we covered during that World Cup,” Hershorn said.

Diego Maradona scored twice early in the second half, but Reuters reported that many people in the stadium did not immediately realise what had happened during the first goal, the infamous Hand of God incident. Hershorn said he was at the other end of the ground and only understood the significance later when he returned to the dark room. He also described missing that image as a lasting regret after photographing Maradona extensively during the tournament.

Gowar, who was at the match as a Reuters reporter, said he also missed the handball in real time, though a colleague beside him told him immediately that Maradona had used his hand. Gowar later became the journalist who relayed Maradona’s explanation to the world after an Argentine colleague passed on the player’s remark from the changing rooms. The quote, he recalled, was:

‘a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God’

Argentina won that quarter-final 2-1 and went on to lift the trophy.

1998 and Beckham’s red card

When the sides met again in the round of 16 in St Etienne in 1998, England reserve goalkeeper Nigel Martyn was on the bench. He said the players treated it as a major match they were intent on winning, while the sense of rivalry was being intensified more by media coverage.

The first half ended 2-2 before David Beckham was sent off shortly after the restart for kicking out at Diego Simeone. England eventually lost on penalties, and much of the blame from fans and the media fell on Beckham.

“I felt that it was unjust because there really wasn’t much in it, certainly not enough for a red card,” Martyn said. “I think it was very harsh some of the things that were said and written. He cared about the team and was crestfallen by getting sent off and us getting knocked out of the tournament.”

Martyn also recalled England’s 1-0 win over Argentina at the 2002 World Cup, when Beckham scored the penalty, saying that match felt more like a grudge contest and that the victory seemed like revenge.