Why England vs. Argentina is World Cup's best, angriest, most chaotic rivalry - ESPN

ATLANTA — England vs. Argentina is not just your average World Cup semifinal. In addition to being two of the top-four ranked nations according to FIFA, it's arguably one of the most iconic World Cup rivalries of them all, extending over 60 years of controversy, hostility and era-defining moments involving some of the biggest names ever to play the game. When the two teams meet Wednesday, they will add another chapter to the rich and tempestuous story of two footballing giants.

It is Diego Maradona and the Hand of God, David Beckham's red card humiliation and his redemption four years later and a Wembley sending off that sparked a diplomatic incident and the introduction of red and yellow cards.

Since the 1980s, soccer games between the two nations have also been played with a political backdrop, following the 1982 military conflict between Great Britain and Argentina over the disputed Falkland Islands / Islas Malvinas. While hardly at the forefront of Wednesday's game, it has been an unfortunate but inescapable reality cited by players on both sides of this fixture.

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But with one of football's classic rivalries resuming on Wednesday for the first time since a 3-2 England victory in a friendly in 2005 — this will be their first World Cup clash since 2002 — ESPN has spoken to players involved in previous meetings, combined with historical recollections, to illustrate just why England vs. Argentina is so compelling.

Additional reporting from James Olley, Tom Hamilton, Damian Didonato

The first World Cup meeting between the two nations was