​ATLANTA — England and Argentina will square off in the World Cup semifinal in Atlanta on Wednesday, reigniting a bitter international rivalry.In the back half of the 20th century, practically every time these prideful footballing nations met, something explosive happened. There were controversial ejections and legendary goals set against the backdrop of seething political tensions.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIn 1982, Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands, or the Islas Malvinas, a group of islands off the coast of Argentina in the Southern Atlantic, which was then under British control. England swiftly won the war in two months as Argentina bore the brunt of the bloodshed. The Falklands are still part of the United Kingdom today, though Argentina continues to dispute the matter.Four years after the war, the countries met in an intense faceoff on the pitch in the 1986 World Cup quarterfinal match on a hot day at Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca. Argentina’s Diego Maradona scored both the “Hand of God” goal and then, minutes later, what is widely considered one of the greatest goals in soccer history. Books, Wikipedia pages, and YouTube videos with millions of views are dedicated to this match alone.The last time England and Argentina met in the World Cup was in 2002, before England star Jude Bellingham was born. The two countries last saw one another in an international friendly in 2005, which Argentina’s Lionel Messi missed due to a red card, so the superstar has never played England.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWednesday marks their first match in two decades; the rarity of matchups between the two nations only adds to the lore. The Falklands War is a consistent theme throughout Argentine supporters’ songs. FIFA bans English and Argentine referees from officiating matches featuring the other nation because of the conflict.Years before the war, after a handful of other meetings, the emotional rollercoaster of a soccer rivalry truly began in 1966.During a World Cup quarterfinal at Wembley Stadium, Argentina captain Antonio Rattín was controversially sent off on a disputed second offense, which he protested by not leaving the pitch, then sitting on a red carpet reserved for Queen Elizabeth II. (Rattín’s controversial ejection led directly to the invention of red and yellow cards for the 1970 World Cup. He died last week.)AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementEngland manager Alf Ramsey didn’t let his players swap jerseys with the Argentines after the match and later called his opponents “animals.”The next history-making clash was the 1986 match. Maradona scored the first goal “a little with the head of Maradona, and a little with the hand of God,” though years later, upon admitting he used his hand to score, called it “symbolic revenge” for the Falklands War. The second goal he scored was all athleticism and technique, blasting past England defenders as he ran half the length of the pitch to find the