England and Argentina meet Wednesday for a spot in the World Cup final, and it’s been a while coming. The two sides hadn’t played each other since 2005, but few rivalries carry as much history, from a Hand of God to a David Beckham red card to a David Beckham redemption. Here’s every match the two nations have played.
England vs. Argentina History
- May 9, 1951 (London): England 2, Argentina 1 — Friendly
- May 14, 1953 (Buenos Aires): Argentina 3, England 1 — Unofficial warm-up; not recognized by England as a full international
- May 17, 1953 (Buenos Aires): Argentina 0, England 0 — Friendly abandoned because of torrential rain
- June 2, 1962 (Rancagua, Chile): England 3, Argentina 1 — 1962 FIFA World Cup
- June 6, 1964 (Rio de Janeiro): Argentina 1, England 0 — Taça das Nações
- July 23, 1966 (London): England 1, Argentina 0 — 1966 FIFA World Cup quarterfinal
- May 22, 1974 (London): England 2, Argentina 2 — Friendly
- June 12, 1977 (Buenos Aires): Argentina 1, England 1 — Friendly
- May 13, 1980 (London): England 3, Argentina 1 — Friendly
- June 22, 1986 (Mexico City): Argentina 2, England 1 — 1986 FIFA World Cup quarterfinal
- May 25, 1991 (London): Argentina 2, England 2 — 1991 England Challenge Cup
- June 30, 1998 (Saint-Étienne, France): Argentina 2, England 2, AET, Argentina won 4-3 on penalties — 1998 FIFA World Cup round of 16
- Feb. 23, 2000 (London): England 0, Argentina 0 — Friendly
- June 7, 2002 (Sapporo, Japan): England 1, Argentina 0 — 2002 FIFA World Cup group stage
- Nov. 12, 2005 (Geneva): England 3, Argentina 2 — Friendly
Wednesday’s World Cup semifinal in Atlanta will be the 15th meeting between the two countries (their 16th meeting if the unofficial 1953 warm-up is included), and the first since that 2005 friendly.
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The three games that everyone remembers
1986: The hand of God and the goal of the century
Diego Maradona scored twice in the quarterfinals in Mexico City, first with a cheeky handball he later called “the Hand of God,” then with a pass through the England team’s half that still stands as the greatest goal in World Cup history. Argentina won 2-1 and won the tournament.
1998: Red card to Beckham
David Beckham was sent off for kicking Diego Simeone in the last 16, leaving England playing a man down for more than an hour. The match ended 2-2 after extra time and Argentina won on penalties 4-3.
2002: Beckham’s redemption
Four years later, Beckham had the chance to fix it. He converted a penalty in England’s 1–0 group stage victory, helping England advance, while Argentina eventually returned home in the group stage.
Stories related to the World Cup
How to watch England vs. Argentina today
- When: Wednesday, July 15, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. ET
- Where: Atlanta Stadium, Atlanta, GA
- TV: FOX
- Stream: Watch 3 days free on FOX One, FOX Sports
