The Argentine Football Association (AFA) established, on August 6, 2026, National Football Teams Day, to be celebrated annually on July 15. The initiative pays tribute to Argentina’s triumph over England in the semi-final of the 2026 World Cup.
The deliberation received the approval of the AFA Executive Committee. The federation informed that the objective is to perpetuate Argentina’s memorable classification for the second consecutive final of the world tournament.
During the game held in Atlanta, the English team took the lead with a goal from Anthony Gordon, 10 minutes into the second half. However, the team coached by Lionel Scaloni showed resilience and achieved a comeback in the final moments of the match.
Midfielder Enzo Fernández equalized the score in the 40th minute of the second half, and Lautaro Martínez sealed the classification with a goal in the 47th minute. The 2-1 result guaranteed Argentina’s presence in the final dispute against Spain.
(Image embed: England x Argentina)
“On that day, the team led by Lionel Scaloni lost by a goal difference, but managed to turn things around with goals from Enzo Fernández and Lautaro Martínez, making the entire country vibrate”, stated the AFA in an official statement.
The 2026 clash took place exactly four decades after Argentina’s triumph over the English in the quarter-finals of the 1986 World Cup. On that occasion, Diego Maradona was the scorer of the goals that became world famous as “Hand of God” and “Goal of the Century”.
The classification celebration in 2026 was also the scene of a controversy related to the Falkland Islands. After the final whistle, players such as Giovani Lo Celso and Cristian Romero displayed a banner with the inscription “The Falklands are Argentine”.
