While the opening goal was controversial, just four minutes later, Maradona (in blue) created a moment of greatness in football history. Receiving the ball from midfield, the Argentine captain weaved past several English players before dribbling past Shilton to score. This goal was later voted by FIFA as the 'goal of the century'.

England 1-0 Argentina - 1966 World Cup quarter-finals: The birth of a rivalry

While their first match in 1962 was relatively calm, the 1966 World Cup quarter-final clash at Wembley Stadium truly ignited the rivalry between the two footballing nations. Geoff Hurst scored the only goal, securing a semi-final spot for hosts England, a goal Argentina still claims was offside. However, the biggest controversy stemmed from the red card shown to captain Antonio Rattin in the 33rd minute.

Gary Lineker (left) pulled a goal back to 1-2 late in the game, but could not save England from defeat.

The Argentine midfielder was sent off after fouling Bobby Charlton and then persistently protesting the decision of German referee Rudolf Kreitlein. Rattin refused to leave the field, causing an almost eight-minute delay to the match. Referee Kreitlein even required a police escort to leave the pitch.

After the match, manager Alf Ramsey famously called the Argentine players 'animals' and forbade his team from exchanging jerseys with their opponents. The intense scenes both on and off the field made the match one of the most controversial encounters in World Cup history.

Maradona only officially apologized for the 'hand of god' in 2005. However, Shilton never accepted that apology. Argentina then defeated West Germany in the final to win their second World Cup, after their first in 1978.

Many football historians believe that the chaos of this match contributed to FIFA's decision to introduce yellow and red cards from the 1970 World Cup, replacing previous verbal warnings.

To date, that remains England's only World Cup triumph. Captain Bobby Moore lifted the Jules Rimet Cup after England defeated West Germany 4-2 in extra time in the 1966 World Cup final at Wembley, London on 30/7/1966.

Argentina 2-1 England - 1986 World Cup quarter-finals: 'The hand of god'

Four years after the Falklands War, the clash at the Azteca Stadium carried significance far beyond football. Argentine media viewed it as an opportunity to display national pride, while the English press also fully exploited the rivalry between the two nations.

Argentina 2-2 England (won 4-3 on penalties) - 1998 World Cup round of 16: Beckham's fall from grace

The clash in Saint-Etienne was among the most compelling in World Cup history. Alan Shearer opened the scoring from the penalty spot, before Gabriel Batistuta equalized, also from a penalty. Then, Michael Owen created a moment that would define his career.

The then 18-year-old striker dribbled past the Argentine defense to score one of England's most beautiful World Cup goals, putting his team 2-1 up. However, Argentina quickly equalized with a cleverly worked free-kick routine, finished by Javier Zanetti.

The turning point came early in the second half when David Beckham kicked out at Diego Simeone after a challenge. The referee immediately showed a direct red card. Playing with one man down for almost an entire half, England resiliently held their opponents to a draw. Sol Campbell even headed the ball into Argentina's net in the 81st minute, but the goal was disallowed for a foul.

In the penalty shootout, David Batty and Paul Ince missed, leading to England's 3-4 defeat. A year later, Simeone admitted he had 'tricked' the referee. The former Argentine midfielder stated that the incident should have only warranted a yellow card, but his fall led to Beckham's red card.

Argentina 0-1 England - 2002 World Cup group stage: Beckham's redemption

Four years after the tragedy in France, Beckham delivered a perfect response. The match in Sapporo had a special atmosphere, with memories of the 1998 red card still fresh. In the 44th minute, Michael Owen was fouled by Mauricio Pochettino inside the box, and England were awarded a penalty.

Beckham calmly beat the Argentine goalkeeper to score the only goal of the match. The England team then overcame Denmark in the round of 16 before being eliminated by Brazil in the quarter-finals. Meanwhile, Argentina were eliminated in the group stage, their first time since the 1962 World Cup.

The upcoming semi-final in Atlanta will be the first time the two teams have met in a major tournament since the 2002 World Cup.

Xuan Binh

Photos: Reuters, AFP