As England step onto the field on Wednesday, Harry Kane’s men will hope to end their country’s frustrating 60-year wait for a place in the World Cup final.
It was at Wembley in 1966 that the Three Lions’ only World Cup final appearance came. Roared on by the home crowd, England beat bitter rivals West Germany 4-2 in the final for their only major trophy in history.
But on Wednesday, England will be up against Argentina to add the latest chapter to the most storied rivalry in international football.
The war over the Falkland Islands, known as the Malvinas in Argentina, in 1982 has continued to spark tensions between the two countries to this day.
The political ramifications often spill onto the field. Diego Maradona never shied away from admitting that the history between the two countries inspired him to jump high in the air at the Azteca and punch the ball into the England net for the ‘Hand of God’ goal.
That goal would have been ruled out today with VAR, but back in 1986, Tunisian referee Ali Ben Nasser failed to see Maradona’s hand, and a generation of England supporters still haven’t got over the pain of seeing their team go out to a blatant act of cheating.
But the 1986 quarterfinal was not defined by Maradona’s hand alone. It was also that magical left foot, his balance and poise, and that mazy run from his own half as he dribbled past four England outfield players before beating the goalkeeper to score the greatest individual goal of all time.
One man single-handedly elevated a game of football into mythic status with a combination of dark art and bewitching talent.
Now, 40 years later, it’s Lionel Messi, the illustrious compatriot of the late Maradona, who stands on the cusp of history.
At 39, Messi is redefining greatness, pushing physical boundaries to new limits as his eight goals and impact on the field have kept Argentina’s hopes alive of becoming the first team since Brazil in 1962 to win back-to-back World Cup titles.
On paper, England have the better team, but World Cup knockout games are not won on paper. This is where Argentina can be dangerous — even though they are struggling for top form and rhythm.
But what they still have is what most coaches would die for — an undying team spirit, with players ready to go to the end of the world for their hero, Messi.
Many of the younger members of the team, including Julian Alvarez, were children when Messi became a global phenomenon in 2008.
Now, these players are giving their all in the Argentina shirt to ensure every World Cup knockout game does not become Messi’s last match.
On social media, an old photo of Alvarez emerged with Messi. The striker was only 11 when he got to pose with his idol during the 2011 Copa America in Argentina.
Eleven years later, in 2022, Alvarez’s sumptuous link-up play with Messi played a big role in Argentina winning their World Cup after 36 years.
It ended Messi’s wait for the biggest trophy in his life.
Coming off an injury layoff, Alvarez was rusty at the start of the 2026 World Cup. But now he is growing into the tournament, with his stunning right-footed shot from outside the box sealing victory against Switzerland in a nerve-racking quarterfinal clash.
Messi will need Alvarez again in the semifinal to make those tireless runs to open spaces for him to weave his magic.
Even one moment of magic from the ‘Boy from Rosario’ could prove decisive.
England, on the other hand, will have to deal with public expectations of ending 60 years of hurt, the political drama surrounding this fixture, the shadow of the 1982 war between the two countries and the lingering national trauma of Maradona’s Hand of God.
But Harry Kane, England’s talisman, remained a picture of composure in the pre-match press conference.
“I think it’s not something you want to focus too much on, surrounding the history,” the prolific striker told reporters.
“That’s all part of it and that’s what you guys (in the media) will talk about, and the fans will be involved in.
“But from a player’s point of view, it’s us against a great team.”
Remarkably, Messi, who made his international debut in 2005, will play England for the first time in his career. The little magician was liberated from the shadow of Maradona’s cult status after finally winning the World Cup in 2022.
But the media in Argentina, especially an editorial in Clarin, the largest newspaper in the South American country and the second-largest in the Spanish-speaking world, reminded the football world that the legend of Maradona is challenging Messi again.
Can he rise to the occasion like Maradona famously did in 1986 and drag Argentina over the line against England?
This fixture also has a history of violent tackles. It was in the 1966 World Cup quarterfinal between the two teams that the first unsavoury incident took place.
Antonio Rattin, who passed away recently, refused to walk off after being sent off by the referee. The Argentina midfielder, who spoke no English, claimed he did not understand the referee’s call and had to be escorted by policemen.
It was a game littered with fouls, which eventually led to the introduction of red and yellow cards in football.
Now the media in both countries have left no stone unturned in opening old wounds — from the Falklands War to Maradona’s Hand of God and David Beckham’s red card in the 1998 World Cup round-of-16 game.
Kane said all the right things in the press conference, but according to Tim Vickery, the South American football expert, ‘the atmosphere of the game will obviously contaminate it’.
Expect an ill-tempered game; the referee must be on his toes. And this game could not have come at a more critical time, with Argentina already under the scanner from the media and fans over FIFA’s alleged favouritism.
Pure football fans will hope the match is remembered for a moment of genius from Messi, or Jude Bellingham’s powerful runs and Alvarez and Kane’s elite finishing skills, not for any controversial VAR or refereeing decisions.
Source: Khaleej Times