From Maradona's Hand of God to Beckham's red card, and Messi's dramatic comeback... Argentina strikes England again in navy blue jerseys

*This content was translated by AI.

Argentina struck England once again while wearing their 'lucky navy blue' jersey. In 1986, there was Diego Maradona; in 1998, there was the red card incident involving David Beckham. This time, 'the football god' Lionel Messi (Inter Miami) became the protagonist of a dramatic comeback story.

On the 16th (Korean time), Argentina secured a 2-1 comeback victory against England in the semi-final of the 2026 FIFA North American World Cup held at Atlanta Stadium in the United States, advancing to the final.

With this win, Argentina has reached the final stage for two consecutive tournaments following their championship victory at the 2022 Qatar World Cup. In this tournament, they are aiming for back-to-back World Cup titles and their fourth overall championship.

Messi also seized the opportunity to perfectly conclude what is effectively his final World Cup. At the previous Qatar tournament, Messi achieved his long-held dream of winning his first World Cup title. Leading Argentina to the final in this tournament as well, he now stands on the verge of securing his second career World Cup championship.

Argentina's opponent in the final will be Spain. The 'Invincible Armada' Spain advanced to the final for the first time in 16 years by defeating France in the other semi-final. Spain last claimed the title at the 2010 South Africa World Cup, their only championship to date. They are now aiming for their second overall World Cup victory. The North American World Cup final between Argentina and Spain will be held on the 20th at New Jersey Stadium in New York, United States.

Messi's role was decisive in this match as well. With Argentina trailing 0-1 late in the second half, Messi delivered two assists in quick succession to lead a dramatic comeback victory. After conceding the opening goal to Anthony Gordon (Barcelona) in the 10th minute of the second half, Argentina launched relentless attacks to equalize. Despite numerous shots that failed to breach England's goal for some time, they finally achieved success in the 40th minute of the second half. Enzo Fernandez (Chelsea), receiving Messi's pass, struck a powerful shot to shake the English net and level the score.

Carrying their momentum forward, Argentina also scored the go-ahead goal through Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan) in the second minute of stoppage time. Once again, the starting point was Messi. Instead of his familiar left foot, Messi delivered a exquisite pass with his right foot, and Martinez calmly finished it off to put an end to the intense contest.

Coincidentally, Argentina wore not their iconic sky-blue and white striped home jersey today, but a dark navy blue away kit. In matches against England, Argentina's navy blue jersey is regarded as a 'lucky charm' that brings victory. Argentina has won all three World Cup matches played against England while wearing the navy blue jersey.

Reuters reported, "Argentina's dark navy blue jersey carries meaning beyond being simply an away kit," adding that it is "a jersey engraved with some of the most famous World Cup memories in Argentine football history, and perhaps even a symbol imbued with a touch of luck."

The legend of the navy blue jersey began at the 1986 Mexico World Cup when Argentina's legendary player Maradona scored his 'Hand of God' goal. In that tournament's quarter-final, Argentina faced England. Wearing the navy blue jersey, Maradona scored what became known as the 'Hand of God' by pushing the ball into the net with his hand. He then left behind a memorable scene where he dribbled past multiple English defenders and the goalkeeper from near the halfway line before scoring again.

Argentina defeated England 2-1 thanks to Maradona's two goals, went on to reach the final, and lifted the World Cup trophy.

The navy blue jersey also brought victory to Argentina at the 1998 France World Cup. In the tournament's round of 16, Argentina faced England. Beckham, then a key player for England, was sent off after colliding with Diego Simeone and kicking out in retaliation while falling. With a numerical advantage, Argentina defeated England in a penalty shootout to advance to the quarter-finals.

And once again at the 2026 North American World Cup semi-final, Argentina knocked down England while wearing the navy blue jersey.

Surprisingly, there is also a counter-example. In the group stage of the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup, Argentina lost to England 0-1 after conceding a penalty kick winner from Beckham. Coincidentally, they were wearing their traditional sky-blue and white striped jerseys rather than the 'lucky navy blue' at that time.

Aware of this, the Argentine Football Association requested FIFA to allow them to wear the navy blue jersey in the North American World Cup semi-final. FIFA approved the request. Earlier, Spanish outlet AS explained regarding Argentina's navy blue jersey request that "the symbolism of their victories against England in 1986 and 1998 served as the background."

The navy blue jersey worn by Argentina in this tournament features a 'Pileteado' pattern of swirling blue designs on a black background. The design was inspired by Argentine culture. Pileteado is a traditional decorative art and lettering style from Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina, recognized by UNESCO. It is characterized by vibrant colors, elegant floral patterns, three-dimensional shading, and highly ornamental Gothic-style typography.

In fact, Argentina's navy blue jersey had been a topic of discussion even before the match. Thomas Tuchel, England's coach, said ahead of the semi-final regarding Argentina's choice of the navy blue jersey: "If it were related to superstition, I would have done the same," and added, "I respect their choice. I was not aware that such history exists."

He continued, "I also have routines related to superstition," but joked, "But I won't say them. According to another superstition, mentioning them causes their effect to disappear."

He then explained, "There are routines that help maintain composure and calm the mind throughout the day. That part will not change," adding, "We also have items we believe bring us luck. Such things are perfectly natural in top-level sports."

On the other hand, Lionel Scaloni, Argentina's coach, did not attach great significance to the navy blue jersey. Coach Scaloni responded, "I did not request the navy blue jersey. I don't know who requested it, but it was probably due to tradition," and added, "If there were no special issues with Tuchel, I would have been the same."

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*This content was translated by AI.