England vs. Argentina in a World Cup Semifinal. The History Is Wild.

The stage is set. Spain already booked its ticket to the 2026 World Cup Final in the New York/New Jersey Stadium. So the question now is simple: does England or Argentina join them?

We get our answer Wednesday in what might be the most loaded semifinal matchup these two teams have ever played. And that’s saying something, because this rivalry has never been just about soccer.

It Started With a Red Card and a Language Barrier

These two first met in a World Cup back in 1962. England won 3-1 in a game that nobody really remembers. But 1966? That one lives forever. England was hosting, on its way to its only World Cup title, and the quarterfinal against Argentina turned into a mess. Argentine captain Antonio Rattín got a red card for arguing with the German referee — even though Rattín didn’t speak German. He refused to leave the field. Police had to escort him off. England won 1-0, and the bad blood was officially brewing.

The Falklands War Made Everything Worse

Skip ahead to 1986, and the two countries had actually been at war. The Falklands War was only a few years in the rearview when Argentina and England met again in the World Cup quarterfinals. That’s the game where Diego Maradona scored both the most infamous goal in history (the Hand of God) and what many still call the most beautiful goal ever (that slaloming run past five England players). Argentina won 2-1 and went on to win the whole thing.

Then Came David Beckham

The 1998 meeting is where Beckham became public enemy No. 1 in England. After a hard foul from Diego Simeone, Beckham kicked out at him from the ground — a red card, a 10-man England, and a penalty shootout loss. Argentina celebrated. England burned Beckham in effigy back home.

Four years later, they met again in the group stage. Beckham was England captain by then. He scored the winning goal off a penalty kick, and England took it 1-0. Redemption arc complete.

Now they’re meeting for the first time in a World Cup semifinal. The winner gets Spain. The loser gets nothing but years of what-if. Follow along here for live updates and score changes as the match unfolds.