England–Argentina Rivalry—Waiting 24 Years, and Every Generation of Fans Has Its Own England–Argentina Showdown

Brothers, England versus Argentina—this matchup itself is one of the most talked-about rivalries in football history.

The two teams have faced off 5 times at the World Cup: 1962, 1966, 1986, 1998, and 2002 . After that, it was a wait of 24 years. You could say that every generation of fans has its own England–Argentina showdown.

At the 1986 Mexico World Cup, Maradona’s two iconic moments—the “Hand of God” and the “Goal of the Century”—remain, to this day, among the most classic images in World Cup history. At the 1998 France World Cup, Beckham was sent off with a red card, and England were eliminated on penalties. In the 2002 group stage, Beckham “took revenge” on Argentina from the penalty spot. Their rivalry has extended from the pitch into history, and from matches into national feelings .

Now, 24 years have passed, and the two teams meet again in the semifinals. After the match, Messi said: “Playing the England team is special, because they’re a strong side. For me personally, this will be my first time facing them. Besides England, I’ve already played against every team.”

England legend Joe Cole, meanwhile, delivered a harsh statement: “England will 100% beat Argentina. We’re going to send Messi back home. We have too much of a speed advantage against Argentina.” Scholes predicted that the match would “completely turn into a total mess,” the score could be 4-3, and there would be red cards on the pitch .

After waiting 24 years—an enmity between two generations. The intrigue of this game goes far beyond the result itself.

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