England, Argentina renew iconic World Cup rivalry in semi-final

England and Argentina will add another chapter to one of football‍‍`s fiercest rivalries when they meet in the FIFA World Cup semi-finals on Wednesday.

The two nations have produced several unforgettable World Cup encounters over the past six decades, with drama, controversy and historic moments shaping one of the sport‍‍`s most celebrated rivalries.

Their first World Cup meeting came during the group stage in Chile in 1962, where England claimed a 3-1 victory. While England progressed to the quarter-finals, Argentina were eliminated in the opening round.

Four years later, the rivalry intensified in the 1966 quarter-finals at Wembley. England defeated Argentina 1-0 in a heated contest after captain Antonio Rattin was sent off for dissent. The midfielder‍‍`s lengthy refusal to leave the pitch and England manager Alf Ramsey‍‍`s post-match criticism of Argentina‍‍`s physical approach made the match one of the most controversial in World Cup history. Rattin died last Saturday at the age of 89.

Perhaps the most famous meeting came at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, when Diego Maradona inspired Argentina to a 2-1 victory. The legendary forward scored the infamous "Hand of God" goal before producing what is widely regarded as the greatest goal in World Cup history, dribbling past several England players to seal the win. Argentina went on to lift the trophy.

The rivalry delivered more drama at France 1998. Michael Owen scored a stunning solo goal, but David Beckham‍‍`s second-half red card shifted the momentum. England eventually lost in a penalty shootout after Sol Campbell had a late goal ruled out.

England gained revenge at the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea. Beckham converted a first-half penalty to secure a 1-0 victory over an Argentina side featuring Diego Simeone, Gabriel Batistuta and Juan Sebastian Veron. Argentina were eliminated in the group stage, while England reached the quarter-finals before losing to Brazil.

Wednesday‍‍`s semi-final now offers both nations another opportunity to write history, with a place in the World Cup final at stake.