Argentina players chant 'for the Malvinas' as England World Cup semi-final looms

Argentina’s players chanted “for the Malvinas, for Diego, for Leo’s last one” in their dressing room after defeating Switzerland in extra-time to reach the World Cup semi-finals, where they will face England.

The holders needed extra-time to see off the Swiss, with Julián Álvarez and Lautaro Martínez both scoring to seal a place in the last four. As the celebrations continued, the squad also joined supporters in an anti-English chant that has circulated among Argentine fans for decades: “And you see it, and you see it, anyone who doesn’t jump is an Englishman.”

The Malvinas is Argentina’s name for the Falkland Islands, a British Overseas Territory that Argentina attempted to reclaim by force in 1982. The conflict cost 649 Argentine military personnel their lives before British forces retook the islands. The political dimension has long shadowed meetings between the two nations on the football pitch.

England and Argentina have met three times at World Cups — in 1986, 1998, and 2002 — with each encounter carrying its own drama. Their last competitive meeting came in Sapporo in 2002, when David Beckham converted a penalty to give England a 1-0 win. They have not faced each other since a friendly in Geneva in 2005, which England won thanks to a Michael Owen goal in injury time.

Notably, Lionel Messi did not feature in that Geneva friendly, having been suspended after receiving a red card just 30 seconds into his international debut. It means the Argentina captain has never faced England in a competitive or friendly match during his senior career.

Argentina are chasing history in this tournament, looking to become the first side to retain the World Cup since Brazil in 1962. They have been pushed hard in every knockout game so far, requiring extra-time in multiple rounds. England, meanwhile, advanced by beating Norway in extra-time in their quarter-final before watching Argentina’s match unfold.

The semi-final between the two sides will be the first competitive meeting in over two decades and the most politically loaded fixture the tournament has produced.