Argentina will face Spain in the FIFA men’s World Cup final on Sunday, after the defending champions beat England 2-1 in a testy showdown on Wednesday.
The match spotlighted a bitter, decades-long rivalry between two teams that hadn’t played each other in 21 years. The feud centers on the 1986 quarterfinal in which Argentina’s Diego Maradona scored the illegal “Hand of God” goal that went unnoticed by the referee. Other controversial clashes included a 1998 knockout match in which English star David Beckham received a red card.
Geopolitical tensions also loomed over the game: Argentina and the UK warred over the Falkland Islands in 1982. Argentina’s vice president this week described England as “invaders” and “usurping pirates.”