For six decades, the football rivalry between England and Argentina has produced moments that transcend sport, weaving themselves into the political and cultural fabric of both nations. From the "Hand of God" goal to a red card that sparked national fury, eyewitnesses who were inside the stadiums for three defining World Cup matches have shared their first-person accounts of anger, disbelief, and jubilation. Main Developments Three World Cup encounters between England and Argentina — in 1966, 1986, and 1998 — created defining moments that still resonate. Each match produced a flashpoint that became part of football lore: Antonio Rattin's refusal to leave the pitch, Diego Maradona's handball goal, and David Beckham's sending-off. In 1966, the quarter-final at Wembley turned when Argentina midfielder Rattin was sent off in the first half. He refused to leave, holding up the game for several minutes. Rex Gowar, an Argentine-raised reporter who attended as a fan, recalled being "so surprised" by the incident. "Rattin was haranguing the referee all the time," Gowar said, describing how the player eventually sauntered past the fans before going down the tunnel. Read also: Why France's midfield mismatch ended Mbappe's World Cup dream Twenty years later, the sides met again in a quarter-final at Mexico City's Azteca Stadium. Maradona scored two goals in quick succession early in the second half. The first — punched into the net — became the "Hand of God." Photographer Gary Hershorn, covering his first World Cup, said he was "at the opposite end" and didn't see it. "Not until after the game when I went back into our dark room did I have a sense that something big had happened," he said. In 1998, England and Argentina met in the last 16 in St Etienne. With the first half ending 2-2, Beckham was sent off just after the break for kicking out at Diego Simeone. England reserve goalkeeper Nigel Martyn, who was on the bench, called the red card "unjust." "There really wasn't much in it, certainly not enough for a red card," Martyn said. England lost on penalties, and Beckham became the target of media and fan fury. Background The rivalry predates football. In 1966, England manager Alf Ramsey called the Argentines "animals" after the quarter-final, a phrase that became infamous. Gowar recalled a picture of Ramsey stopping one of his players from swapping shirts with an Argentine counterpart. England won that match 1-0 via Geoff Hurst and went on to win the World Cup. The 1986 quarter-final came just four years after the Falklands War between Britain and Argentina over the islands known to the British as the Falklands and to Argentines as the Malvinas. Hershorn noted that "everybody's mind" carried the geopolitical stakes. After the match, Maradona famously said the goal was scored "a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God." Gowar, now a Reuters reporter, relayed the quote to the world from the Azteca press box. Argentina won 2-1 and went on to lift the trophy. By 1998, the rivalry had become a media spectacle. Martyn said the feeling was "being more whipped up by the media." Beckham's red card made him a scapegoat, though Martyn defended him: "He cared about the team and was crestfallen by getting sent off and us getting knocked out." Why It Matters These matches are not just football history — they are cultural flashpoints that have shaped how two nations view each other. The 1966 "animals" comment, the 1986 handball goal, and the 1998 red card each became symbols of perceived injustice, fueling a rivalry that goes beyond the pitch. The geopolitical backdrop of the Falklands War added a layer of tension that made the 1986 match feel like a proxy conflict. Hershorn described it as having "a bigger geopolitical scale" than any other game at that World Cup. For fans and players alike, these matches carry emotional and historical weight that ordinary internationals do not. Martyn's recollection of the 2002 World Cup group-stage match — where Beckham scored a penalty to beat Argentina 1-0 — shows how the rivalry evolves. "It felt a lot more of a grudge match," he said, and the victory felt like "revenge." What's Next As England and Argentina prepare for a World Cup semi-final meeting, the echoes of 1966, 1986, and 1998 will inevitably surround the match. Players on both sides will be aware of the history, even if they were not yet born when some of those moments occurred. The question now is whether this generation can create its own defining moment — one that might transcend sport just as the "Hand of God" and Beckham's red card did. For the eyewitnesses who lived through those earlier chapters, the semi-final offers another chance to watch history unfold.