Argentine Vice President Rejects Calls to Downplay Rivalry: "The English are Pirates"

Ever since the semi-final pairing was announced, media outlets have consistently highlighted the rivalry between the two nations. Matches between these two teams have taken on a significantly greater political dimension since the British entered the Falklands War in 1982.

During the conflict, the South Americans failed to regain control of the islands, which have belonged to Great Britain since 1833. Veterans and Fallen Soldiers Day in the Falklands War is a national holiday in Argentina, celebrated annually on April 2nd.

Villarruel's father also fought in the war, and the Buenos Aires native made her feelings clear about Wednesday's opponents before the match. "We are playing against pirates who usurped power. This isn't just another game, and I won't be politically correct. Against the English, it's always about something more. It's about the Malvinas, it's about Diego Maradona, it might be Lionel Messi's last game, and it's about stopping the aggressors. Hold on, Argentina! Because until our last breath, we will demand back what is ours," Villarruel wrote on social media platform X.

Coach Scaloni, on the other hand, tried to calm emotions before the match. He insisted that "past events should not be linked to this football match." And despite always honoring those who fell in the war, "English players bear no blame for it."

The historical rivalry on the pitch stems from tense encounters at the 1966 World Cup in England, and the 1998 and 2002 World Cups. Perhaps the most memorable match, however, came four years after the war at the championship in Mexico. Diego Maradona first scored with his hand, then decided Argentina's progression with a brilliant solo effort.