Our Down Memory Lane story today is about how Diego Maradona’s tricky goal earned Argentina victory against England in a World Cup match in 1986, just as both countries get set for Wednesday’s semi final of this year’s FIFA World Cup.

Forty years have passed since that day that the late Diego Maradona scored a dramatic goal during the World Cup quarter final match between Argentina and England in 1986.

But, the controversy persists, as Argentina battle England in the semi final of 2026 World Cup on Wednesday.

Diego Armando Maradona scored the opening goal with his hand in what is arguably the most iconic refereeing mistake in football history.

After the match, when asked about the goal, he famously said it was scored “a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐨𝐝.”

That’s how the legendary name “The Hand of God” was born.

However, the ‘Hand OF God’ would be on the lips of football fans across the world on Wednesday, especially the English supporters who find it difficult to forget the scenario back in 1986.

Meanwhile, Lionel Messi has spent over two decades carving a path through international football, facing every World Cup-winning nation from Brazil to France, but one notable opponent ‌has always been missing from the list: England.

That will change on Wednesday when Argentina meet the European ⁠side in a World Cup semifinal in Atlanta, a heavyweight clash that Argentina’s FA (AFA) described on its website as “the match fate owed Messi.”

The 39-year-old Messi ‌has played Brazil, Uruguay, Germany, Italy, Spain and France during his career, yet never crossed paths with England.

The ‌closest he came was a friendly in Geneva in November ‌2005, ⁠the last time the two sides faced each other.

Argentina ⁠lost 3-2 as Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen, who scored twice, overturned goals from Hernan Crespo and Walter Samuel. Messi, however, missed out after being sent off on his international debut ‌against Hungary earlier that year.

“It’s special because they’re a great team, a powerhouse, and it’s always nice to play a team like that, a match of this kind,” Messi told reporters after ‌Argentina’s 3-1 quarterfinal victory over Switzerland in extra time on Saturday.