Argentina and English Fans Clash Ahead of World Cup Semi-Final

Footage circulating on social media shows supporters of the Argentina football team in fights with opponents before their side faces England in the FIFA World Cup.

These outbreaks of violence have allegedly been occurring in places such as Atlanta, where the semi-final contest between the countries is set to take place at 2:00PM, Jamaican time. In the videos and pictures of the incident, several overturned tables and chairs can be seen, with bottles and stones being used as projectiles. The police were quick to intervene, and at least one man appears to have been arrested.


Police in Atlanta carrying away an Argentine supporter following a fight between him and other Argentine fans (SOURCE: Charlotte Wilson/Getty Images)

This incident comes in the backdrop of major tensions between fans from both sides, which go beyond sports. In 1982, the United Kingdom and Argentina fought a 74-day undeclared war over the Falkland Islands, a British colonial territory off the coast of Argentina, which is claimed by Buenos Aires.

During the war, the Argentine Military invaded the British holdings, which they refer to as Islas Malvinas, in a surprise attack. They quickly secured the territory, but then lost it to a British counter-offensive. The conflict saw 649 Argentines killed and 1,657 wounded, with the British recording 255 fatalities and 775 injuries. Argentina’s defeat saw its military junta toppled and a restoration of democracy in the country, whilst London’s victory bolstered Britain’s flagging international prestige as an independent power.

Additionally, both sides also have axes to grind over previous football clashes. Both parties have had a long-standing historical football rivalry, dating back to the 1960s. This competition between both sides reached its most divisive and controversial during the 1986 World Cup, just six years after the Falklands War.

In the run up to the match, brawls between fans from both sides broke out in Mexico city, resulting in several English supporters being hospitalized. Argentina would go on to win 2-1, with Argentina striker Diego Maradona using his hand to flick the ball past the English keeper and score, a goal that the referees allowed to stand despite vocal protests, becoming known as ‘The Hand of God’.


Footage of the ‘Hand of God’, showing Mardona just after he used his arm to push the ball around English goalkeeper Peter Shilton in 1986. (SOUCE: El Grafico)

In light of these historical divisions, the police in Atlanta have devised a plan to keep the peace in their city, which is now crowded with both Argentine and English supporters that have come to watch their teams play. The match is expected to become a major flash point, with over 100,000 supporters expected to flood into the city. This far outstrips the capacity of Atlanta’s stadium, which as a maximum cap of 68,000.

British politicians and English players have repeatedly tried to claim that there is nothing special or amiss. England’s goalkeeper Jordan Pickford has stated that it is “just a game of football”, with Stacy Bragger, a member of the Falkland Island’s Legislative assembly describing all talk about the rivalry being deeper than soccer as ‘nonsense’. However, several Argentines have taken a far different approach, with the country’s Vice President Victoria Villarruel, calling the English ‘invaders’ and ‘usurping pirates’, prior to the match. Regardless of the outcome of the match, something is likely to boil over.