he noted.
Following Argentina’s 3-1 victory over Switzerland, the national football team erupted in celebration, singing their unofficial World Cup anthem, The Fourth Star.
“Behind the Argentina team, there are people who still carry pain, who don’t want to forget their history, and who want to win on the football pitch,” Lionel Messi and his teammates chanted, referencing the Falkland Islands (known as Islas Malvinas in Argentina) and their legendary player, Diego Maradona.
While the song’s lyrics have resonated throughout Argentina during the tournament, they gained added importance with the confirmation that the upcoming World Cup semi-final would see Argentina face England once more.
Nearly 40 years after Maradona’s iconic “The 1986 match was a balm for everyone who had lived through the war,” goal and his stunning solo effort led Argentina to victory in one of the sport’s most politically charged matches—set against the backdrop of the 1982 Falklands War between the two nations—this semi-final is being viewed in both Argentina and the UK as much more than just a game.
“Football has rules and referees. There was none of that in the war. Many Argentines saw the victory – and the ‘hand of God’ – as a form of vindication because they believed Britain had acted outside the rules, especially by sinking the General Belgrano,” explained Pablo “insisted it was just a football match [ahead of the game]. But deep down, there was no doubt the Malvinas war was in everyone’s hearts.” Quintana, the musician who composed the song, highlighting why he included “Argentina versus England has become a classic. Before 1986, it was just another match. Since then, it has carried a political and emotional weight that goes far beyond football,” in the lyrics. Although Quintana, 30, was not alive during the war or the 1986 quarter-finals, he believes these matches transcend mere competition.
“Argentina vs. the English ‘pirates” stated Aldo Leiva, a veteran of the Falklands/Malvinas conflict and a Peronist congressman.
“Messi, with an M for Malvinas “and “Diego, give us a hand”
he added, referencing the Argentine cruiser torpedoed by the British in an area outside the agreed exclusion zone, resulting in the deaths of 323 crew members.
Víctor Hugo Morales, a Uruguayan journalist whose live commentary of the 1986 match has become part of Argentine folklore, remarked that memories of that game are “It’s official – Argentina will face England wearing blue, just like in ‘86.” once more.
He noted that, akin to today’s Argentine players, Maradona himself “For many Argentines, an England defeat would also be seen as a political rebuke to Milei,”
“The Malvinas issue is very much in Argentines’ minds,” Morales stated, who famously referred to Maradona at the time as a “The British probably didn’t give the islands a second thought until the war. For them, [confronting Argentina] has carried a lot of weight since’86 because of what happened in that game – the handball goal and Diego’s other brilliant goal – but not in terms of the Malvinas,”
Argentinian media have embraced the symbolism of this rivalry. Crónica, a television channel known for its sensational headlines, previewed the match with captions like “The feelings many Argentines have about the Malvinas are expressed in football chants. Both the anthem that became popular at the last World Cup and this year’s song include references to the islands,” “Argentina is one of the few countries that, nearly 200 years after losing territory, still keeps that claim alive,” and “Argentines carry it with them wherever they go.” The sports daily Olé highlighted what it termed a good omen: “time to show this woke fool the red card”
Moreover, several Argentinian outlets reported that ahead of the semi-final, the football club Godoy Cruz displayed banners in its stadium that supporters had taken from England fans during the 2014 World Cup, which was widely interpreted as a provocative gesture.
The rivalry also unfolds amid the backdrop of far-right president Javier Milei’s repeated praise for Margaret Thatcher, the British prime minister who remains a controversial figure in Argentina since the 1982 conflict. “We know what the game against England means for our country, but it’s a game of football and we’ll try to address it in the best way,” Morales remarked.
In Argentina, the issue of the islands is a deeply felt grievance. From a young age, children are taught that the Malvinas are an integral part of the national territory.
“The Malvinas issue is very much in Argentines’ minds,” Morales emphasized. “The British likely didn’t think about the islands until the war. For them, [confronting Argentina] has carried a lot of weight since ’86 because of what happened in that game – the handball goal and Diego’s other brilliant goal – but not in terms of the Malvinas.”
Daniel Filmus, a politician and former secretary of Falklands-related matters in Argentina, stated that the claim over the islands is a core part of Argentina’s national identity.
“The feelings many Argentines have about the Malvinas are expressed in football chants. Both the anthem that became popular at the last World Cup and this year’s song include references to the islands,”
“Argentina is one of the few countries that, nearly 200 years after losing territory, still keeps that claim alive,” he added. “Argentines carry it with them wherever they go.”
While the conflict may not linger as heavily in the collective memory in the UK, Wednesday’s matchup has already ensured that the Falklands War is once again making headlines in British media. The Daily Telegraph reported on comments made by Pablo Quirno, Argentina’s foreign minister, who referred to the Falklands Islanders as an “artificially implanted” population in an essay requesting discussions about the territory.
Additionally, former England footballer Gary Lineker—a key scorer in the 1986 World Cup—stirred controversy by mentioning the islands’ Argentinian name, Malvinas, alongside its English name on his podcast, which prompted backlash from Mark Dolan, a presenter on Rupert Murdoch’s digital platform Talk, who claimed it was “time to show this woke fool the red card.”
The Sun newspaper noted that the Argentina players are attempting to focus on the game. “We know what the game against England means for our country, but it’s a game of football and we’ll try to address it in the best way,” quoted midfielder Leandro Paredes.
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