I, like probably many of you, have been swept up by the World Cup. For someone who knows little about soccer or futbol, I have still enjoyed many of the games, though I must admit I still have no idea what constitutes a penalty at times.
As much as I have enjoyed the matches, I have also enjoyed following the stories of so many who have traveled to our nation and experienced what makes America so great. I also have a son currently living in Brazil, and it has been fun hearing about his experience there and just how crazy that nation gets over this event.
I watched the match between England and Argentina last week and thought it was an exciting game. It was not until the next day, however, that I learned the Argentine team held up a banner reading “Las Malvinas son Argentinas” (“The Falklands are Argentine”) after the match. While I am absolutely in no position to comment on the game itself, or whether Argentina should be punished by FIFA for making political statements, I thought I could at least explain some of the history behind why these two nations dislike each other so intensely. Only part of it has to do with what has happened on the pitch.
In some ways, you can trace hostilities between the two nations back to 1806. In that year, and again in 1807, the British invaded during the Napoleonic Wars as Great Britain attempted to seize the Spanish colony and secure new trade markets. During the first invasion in June 1806, British troops easily captured Buenos Aires, but local militias quickly organized and forced the British to surrender just two months later. Britain returned in 1807 with a much larger force of around 8,000 soldiers, but the locals fought fiercely until the British surrendered again. The flag the British lost is still displayed in the Santo Domingo Basilica as a symbol of the victory. Ironically, these victories proved to the people of the region that they could defend themselves without Spain’s assistance, helping inspire the May Revolution of 1810 and, eventually, Argentine independence.
Oddly enough, after the Spanish were driven out, it was British influence that largely took their place economically and culturally during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. British capital financed, built, and owned much of Argentina’s railway network, public utilities, and massive meatpacking industry, which exported enormous quantities of beef to the United Kingdom. This economic relationship left a lasting cultural footprint as well. British immigrants introduced sports like football, rugby, and polo, while wealthy Argentines adopted British customs, established English-style schools, and even named many Buenos Aires suburbs after British figures.
This close relationship began to fade in the 1940s for several reasons. As beef prices declined, hurting the Argentine economy, politicians needed someone to blame, and Britain became a convenient target. But don’t cry for Argentina. President Juan Perón, the one married to Madonna, I mean Eva Perón, was sympathetic to the Axis powers and so in 1848 made the popular move to nationalize many British-owned businesses and infrastructure. Perón also helped turn the Falkland Islands into a symbol of Argentine nationalism, introducing new school textbooks that taught the islands rightfully belonged to Argentina.
Finally, in 1982, Argentine forces invaded the Falkland Islands. In response, the United Kingdom sent a naval task force to retake the territory. After about ten weeks of intense fighting, British forces regained control of the islands, and Argentina surrendered on June 14, 1982. The war claimed the lives of 255 British service members and 649 Argentine personnel, with both nations honoring those who died as heroes.
Since the war, the Falklands have remained a British Overseas Territory, although Argentina continues to claim sovereignty over them. The United Kingdom has increased its military presence on the islands while investing in infrastructure and supporting the islands’ self-government. In March 2013, the islanders voted on whether they wished to remain a British. About 92 percent of eligible voters participated, and 99.8 percent voted to remain British. The United Kingdom cited the result as evidence that the islanders had exercised their right to self-determination. Argentina rejected the referendum, arguing that it did not affect its longstanding territorial claim. The dispute has continued diplomatically, but nowhere is it more emotionally visible than on the pitch.
I have learned that England and Argentina share one of the most intense rivalries in World Cup history with a few truly iconic matches. It really began during the 1966 quarterfinal, where Argentina’s captain was given a controversial red card and England’s manager Alf Ramsey famously referred to the Argentine players as “animals” after the match. The rivalry became even more heated following the Falklands War, culminating in the legendary 1986 quarterfinal when Argentina’s star player Diego Maradona scored the infamous illegal “Hand of God” goal before following it minutes later with the breathtaking “Goal of the Century.” The drama continued in the 1998 World Cup when David Beckham was red-carded for kicking out during a tense match that England eventually lost on penalties. Beckham found redemption in their 2002 group-stage meeting by converting the winning penalty in a 1-0 English victory.
All of that history made last week’s dramatic 2-1 comeback by England even more significant. It was not only the banner after the match. In the locker room, the Argentine players were filmed singing one of their favorite team songs, which includes the line, “Por las Malvinas, por el Diego, por la última de Leo,” or “For the Malvinas, for Diego, for Leo’s last one,” a reference to the Falkland Islands, the late Diego Maradona, and Lionel Messi’s final World Cup.
While most of the world knows little about the Falklands War, these two teams clearly have not forgotten.
James Finck is a professor of American history at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma. He can be reached at james.finck@swoknews.com. Thanks to the Southwest Ledger and the Lawton Constitution for sharing his column.
