Why do England and Argentina hate each other so much?

England vs. Argentina is one of the World Cup's best and most heated rivalries. Here's why these two soccer countries hate each other so much.

For all intents and purposes, England against Argentina is one of the best rivalries the men's World Cup has ever seen. Understandably, you might not think that without being told. It's very rare for any sort of rivalry to develop between two countries on different continents, let alone two countries on opposite sides of the globe.

It's to the point where England has maintained it is ready to end the international career of the legendary Lionel Messi. But the circumstances of some classic all-time World Cup matches have baked in some good-old-fashioned animosity between these two passionate soccer nations. As England and Argentina engage in a highly anticipated semifinal match on Wednesday, we should look back on what sparked this rivalry.

There is assuredly no love lost between these two squads, and it mostly comes down to two matches from the late 20th century. In 1986, Argentina defeated a strong England side in a quarterfinal match thanks to Diego Maradona's "Hand of God" goal. The goal really shouldn't have counted, considering it broke, you know, the cardinal rule of soccer.

But Argentina went on to win the World Cup while England languished in a disappointing early exit: Then, during a 1998 Round of 16 match, Argentina prevailed on penalty kicks after a match rife with intensity and a lot of physicality. That match was, of course, famous for David Beckham's red card, which saw him ejected when England needed him most. Considering who the competition was, this was a major black mark on Beckham's otherwise illustrious career:

So, when you see a lot of hard tackles and fouls during Wednesday's semifinal between these two countries, know that it clearly comes from a bitter place. While none of the players on the field had any role in those previous high-profile matches, they did grow up watching them. And there is definitely a sense of collective pride in defending the honor of their respective countries.

What is the all-time World Cup head-to-head between England and Argentina? England actually holds the all-time edge over Argentina at the World Cup with a 3-2 record. It's just that those two losses were the really important ones everyone tends to remember most.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: Why do England and Argentina hate each other so much?