‘Hand of God’: England and Argentina ready to reignite famous World Cup rivalry
By Joel Masibo, July 14, 2026England and Argentina are set to add another chapter to one of football’s most celebrated FIFA World Cup rivalries when they clash in the Wednesday, July 15, 2026, semifinal, marking their first meeting at the tournament in more than 20 years.
The two nations have faced each other five times at the FIFA World Cup. England has emerged victorious on three occasions, while Argentina has claimed two wins, one of which came through a penalty shootout. However, the history between the sides is remembered more for its drama than the results themselves.
Their first World Cup encounter came during the 1962 group stage, where England secured a 3-1 victory. But the rivalry truly intensified four years later in the 1966 quarterfinals at Wembley.
England edged the contest 1-0 thanks to Geoff Hurst’s late strike, although the match became famous for the controversial sending-off of Argentina captain Antonio Rattin.
After just 35 minutes, West German referee Rudolf Kreitlein dismissed Rattin for dissent. The midfielder refused to leave the pitch immediately, creating one of the tournament’s most memorable incidents. Argentine supporters believed the decision favoured the host nation, while England accused their opponents of using overly aggressive tactics.
Tensions continued after the final whistle when England manager Alf Ramsey prevented defender George Cohen from swapping shirts with Alberto Gonzalez.
England eventually lifted the World Cup trophy that year, but the bitterness from the encounter remained for years.
Famous Hand of God
The rivalry reached its most iconic moment at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, where Diego Maradona inspired Argentina to a 2-1 quarterfinal victory.
Maradona famously opened the scoring with his hand before producing a breathtaking solo effort just four minutes later, weaving past several England players before beating goalkeeper Peter Shilton. The first strike became known worldwide as the “Hand of God,” while the second is widely regarded as one of the greatest goals ever scored in World Cup history. Gary Lineker reduced the deficit for England, but Argentina held on before going on to win the tournament.
The teams met again in the knockout stage at the 1998 World Cup in France in another fiercely contested encounter.
Michael Owen produced a stunning individual goal for England, but David Beckham was shown a red card early in the second half after kicking Diego Simeone. Despite being reduced to 10 men, England forced the match into extra time before Argentina advanced with a 4-3 victory in the penalty shootout.
Beckham faced intense criticism back home after the defeat, while Simeone later admitted he had exaggerated the impact of the incident that led to the dismissal.
Their next World Cup meeting came in the 2002 group stage in Sapporo, where Beckham found redemption by converting a penalty after Mauricio Pochettino was ruled to have fouled Owen, giving England a 1-0 victory.
That remains the last competitive meeting between the two football powers.
Recent meeting
Their most recent encounter came in a friendly match in Geneva in 2005, although clashes between the two sides have rarely felt friendly. England won 3-2 after Michael Owen struck twice late in the game.
Lionel Messi, then just 18 years old, missed that match because he was suspended following his red card on his senior Argentina debut against Hungary three months earlier. Remarkably, despite enjoying an international career spanning more than two decades, Messi has never faced England.
That unusual statistic adds another intriguing element as two of world football’s fiercest rivals prepare to write the latest chapter in their remarkable World Cup history.