'Animals', Hand of God and Beckham - Argentina and England's World Cup rivalry

A significant story is unfolding on the international scene. 'Animals', Hand of God and Beckham - Argentina and England's World Cup rivalryImage source, Getty ImagesByAndy CryerBBC Sport senior journalistPublished19 minutes agoIt's a footballing rivalry that goes back generations. England v Argentina for a place in the World Cup final. It's hard to find the words to do the occasion justice.

On Wednesday in Atlanta, Lionel Messi will be playing against England for the first time in his career as the defending world champions bid to stop Thomas Tuchel's Three Lions ending 60 years of hurt. It's a World Cup rivalry that started back in 1962 and has featured wonder goals, controversy and red cards ever since. But it's not just an on-field rivalry.

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Political tensions, especially around the Falklands War in the 1980s, dominate the relationship between the two nations. Argentina players and fans still reference the conflict in football songs. Before one of England's biggest matches in history, Sport takes a look back at the World Cup rivalry between the two sides.

It may surprise many that of the five World Cup matches played between the two sides, it is England that are on top, but it has been a while since they won one that really mattered. With their last World Cup meeting back in 2002, many of the countries' younger generations won't even remember the rivalry, so Sport revisits six decades of controversy. Tuchel angry at 'lucky' and 'sloppy' England – can 'mentality' be enough?

Published7 hours agoArgentina beat 10-man Switzerland in extra time to set up England tie 1962: England 3-1 Argentina (Rancagua, Chile -group stage)A tame affair compared to what was to follow. Goals from Ron Flowers, Bobby Charlton and Jimmy Greaves put England into an unassailable 3-0 lead, with a late consolation from Argentina. Both sides finished the group stage with a win, defeat and a loss, but England edged through at the expense of Argentina thanks to a superior goal difference.

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The Three Lions were knocked out by Brazil in the quarter-finals. 1966: England 1-0 Argentina (Wembley, England - quarter-finals)Was this the moment the footballing rivalry between the two sides really developed? The two teams met in the quarter-finals in a match Argentina, to this day, insist they were robbed in, claiming Geoff Hurst's winning goal was offside.

That was just the tip of the iceberg when it came to controversy though, with Argentina captain Antonio Rattin sent off after just 33 minutes for two offences in the space of three minutes. The first was for a trip on Bobby Charlton, the second was for continuing to argue with German referee Rudolf Kreitlein. The match was delayed for almost eight minutes as Rattin refused to leave the pitch.

England held on, in an incredibly ill-tempered affair, with Three Lions boss Alf Ramsey describing the Argentine side as 'animals' and insisting that his players did not swap shirts.

The story has become one of the most prominent items on the global agenda.