When England and Argentina meet in Atlanta on Wednesday, it will mark one of the most charged occasions in World Cup history — a rivalry stretching back more than 60 years, defined by wonder goals, political tension, and some of football's most controversial moments.

Lionel Messi, competing against England for the first time in his career, leads the defending world champions into a semi-final showdown against Thomas Tuchel's Three Lions, who are chasing their first World Cup triumph since 1966.

1962: the beginning

The rivalry's origins were relatively quiet. England beat Argentina 3-1 in the group stage in Rancagua, Chile, with goals from Ron Flowers, Bobby Charlton, and Jimmy Greaves. Both sides were level on points but England progressed on goal difference. The Three Lions were eventually eliminated by Brazil in the quarter-finals.

1966: 'animals' and the birth of the red card

The quarter-final at Wembley is where the animosity truly ignited. Argentina captain Antonio Rattin was sent off after 33 minutes following a foul on Bobby Charlton and persistent arguing with German referee Rudolf Kreitlein. Rattin refused to leave the pitch for nearly eight minutes, delaying proceedings in one of football's most ill-tempered encounters.

England manager Alf Ramsey was so incensed he refused to let his players swap shirts and publicly branded the Argentine side as 'animals'. The match is widely credited as a catalyst for the introduction of red and yellow cards at the 1970 World Cup. Rattin, who represented Argentina from 1959 to 1969, died on Saturday at the age of 89.

England's 1966 World Cup-winning defender George Cohen later recalled the atmosphere in The Guardian: