[Saba Sports News] The quarter-finals have drawn to a close, confirming the four semi-finalists of this World Cup. Argentina will take on England in Atlanta, USA on July 15 local time, while the other semi-final sees Spain face France. Shortly after securing their semi-final spot, the stands and pitch turned into a sea of celebration for Argentina. Numerous Argentine players joined fans in singing chants and shouting the iconic Spanish rallying cry in unison: El que no salta es un inglés, literally “Anyone who isn’t jumping is an Englishman.” The chant originated amid the 1982 Falklands War. It swept across Argentina after Diego Maradona led his side to eliminate England at the 1986 World Cup, gradually evolving into one of the nation’s most recognizable football anthems. The bitter rivalry between Argentina and England stretches back decades. Diplomatic tensions lingered long after the 1982 Falklands conflict. Four years later, the two nations met in the quarter-finals of the 1986 Mexico World Cup. Maradona scored two legendary goals: the infamous “Hand of God” and the sublime “Goal of the Century”, sealing a 2-1 win for Argentina over England. That fixture stands among the most legendary encounters in World Cup history and pushed the two sides’ football feud to its boiling point.
The editor believes that England and Argentina are set to lock horns in the semi-final, where the two sides will stage another fateful showdown steeped in decades-long bad blood.