Why Argentina are the World Cup's favourite villains

July 18 : For some fans following this World Cup, the calculation has been simple: support whoever is playing against Argentina. Across the tournament, that has meant wearing the green of Algeria, the blue of Cape Verde, or the red of Switzerland. Even the often maligned England got a boost in global social media pledges of support last week ahead of their semifinal clash. And in Sunday's final, it may mean pulling on a red Spain shirt.

Argentina are one of football's most successful and recognizable national teams, but also one of its most polarizing. From Diego Maradona's defiance to Lionel Messi's global celebrity, the Albiceleste have long inspired devotion at home and abroad, alongside irritation, envy and resentment from rivals.   

THE MARADONA LEGEND

Argentina's football identity has been shaped by extraordinary individual players of global fame. Maradona provided Argentina with its most defiant sporting myth, leading the country to the 1986 World Cup title. His two goals against England in the quarterfinals — the infamous "Hand of God" and a solo run later voted "Goal of the Century" — remain central to Argentina's football narrative.

The memory of the "Hand of God" goal still stings for many English fans, while Argentines often view it as part of a larger story of defiance and revenge after the 1982 Falklands War, in which Britain kept control of the disputed island territory.

After Argentina's 2026 World Cup semifinal win over England, players brandished a banner reading "Las Malvinas Son Argentinas" ("The Falklands are Argentine"), in reference to the long-running dispute over the islands, in apparent contravention of FIFA rules banning political statements.

THE MESSI EFFECT

Lionel Messi gave Argentina a different