Old rivals, new battle: Argentina and England clash in World Cup Semifinal

A significant story is unfolding on the international scene. Old rivals, new battle: Argentina and England clash in World Cup Semifinal July 15, 202610:05 AM ET By Natalie Alcoba England and Argentina fans sit side by side during the FIFA World Cup match in Sapporo, Japan, on June 7, 2002. The old rivals meet again this year in a World Cup semifinal showdown. Stu Forster/Getty Images Europe hide caption toggle caption Stu Forster/Getty Images Europe BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Football — or soccer as it's known in the U.

— is more than a game, and the World Cup is more than a tournament. This truism rings clear in the semifinal match between the reigning World Cup champions Argentina and England, a storied rivalry that comes to life today in Atlanta. Despite Argentine coach Lionel Scaloni's message to fans that it is "a football game, period," the South American nation is vibrating with anticipation of the faceoff that is steeped in geopolitics and historical reckoning.

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"I'm very anxious and nervous, but more than anything, I have a lot of faith," said Pablo Medina, 29, Tuesday night in Buenos Aires, on his way into the screening of a new documentary about the other famous World Cup match-up between the two nations, in 1986. Sponsor Message Moviegoers and football fans have been flocking to cinemas in Argentina to see El Partido ("The Game a documentary about the 1986 World Cup quarter-final against England, where Diego Maradona's infamous "Hand of God" goal helped secure victory and cemented his place as a football legend. Four minutes later, Maradona dazzled the crowd with what is known as the goal of the century, dribbling past five English players to help Argentina clinch victory.

Argentina's Diego Maradona scores his infamous "Hand of God" goal over England goalkeeper Peter Shilton during the 1986 FIFA World Cup quarter-final at Mexico City's Azteca Stadium on June 22, 1986, as England defenders Kenny Sansom (top), Gary Stevens (center), and Terry Fenwick look on. Getty Images/Getty Images/Getty/Hulton Archive hide caption toggle caption Getty Images/Getty Images/Getty/Hulton Archive While the match is celebrated in Argentina, it continues to evoke the trauma of one of England's most agonizing World Cup defeats. For Argentines, it was much more than a game, coming just a few years after a 74-day war over a disputed archipelago off the southern tip of Argentina known in Britain as the Falklands Islands and in Argentina as las Islas Malvinas.

"In that match we weren't just playing football, we were playing for everything that had happened with the Malvinas war," Maradona said years later. It's a sentiment that persists today. "More than anything, it's about the resentment we have towards the English — not the majority of the English, but they stole our land, and it's a huge lack of respect for us," said Franco Guido, 14, in the movie theater.

Sponsor Message Argentine media reported that U.

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