England and Argentina meet Wednesday in Atlanta for a place in the World Cup final, a match many in the sport consider the fiercest rivalry in international football, one forged not merely on the pitch but through decades of war, controversy and some of the most infamous moments in soccer history.

The two nations have met just four times previously at football's biggest tournament, and Wednesday's semifinal will mark only the fifth encounter of any kind between them in more than two decades, following a 2005 friendly in Geneva that England won 3-2 after trailing 2-1 late. Notably, an 18-year-old Lionel Messi was suspended for that match, meaning Wednesday will represent the first time Messi has ever faced England on the pitch across his storied international career.

The rivalry's roots trace back to the 1966 World Cup quarterfinal at Wembley Stadium, England's first meeting with Argentina at the tournament. Argentina captain Antonio Rattín was sent off in the first half for dissent but initially refused to leave the field, later seen twisting a corner flag and sitting on a red carpet reserved for Queen Elizabeth II, prompting fans to hurl objects at him. England won the match 1-0 en route to lifting its only World Cup title that year, but the aftermath left a lasting scar. England manager Alf Ramsey described Argentina's players as "animals" following the match, a remark that provoked outrage in Argentina and became a foundational grievance in the rivalry that followed.

Sixteen years later, football gave way to actual warfare. Britain and Argentina fought a 74-day war in 1982 over the Falkland Islands, a British overseas territory in........

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