Kathmandu: England and Argentina have not met in 21 years but few rivalries carry as much weight. Their history goes back nearly two centuries and is filled with drama, scandal and unforgettable football.

On Thursday at 12:45am NST, the two sides finally meet again in Atlanta, with Lionel Messi leading the defending champions in search of a place back in the final. The last time they played was a 2005 friendly in Geneva which a then 18 year old Messi missed through suspension where England won that one 3-2 after trailing 2-1.

England and Argentina first met at Wembley in 1951 with the hosts winning 2-1. That friendly start slowly turned into one of football’s bitterest feuds, one Argentine fans still sing about today.

Here are the biggest flashpoints in their history.

1966: England 1-0 Argentina.

Their first World Cup meeting actually came in 1962 when England’s 3-1 win sent Argentina home early. But it was the 1966 quarterfinal at Wembley that Argentines still call “The Robbery of the Century.”

Argentina captain Antonio Rattin was booked for fouling England captain Bobby Charlton. Less than three minutes later, he was booked again for arguing with the referee after his teammate was warned for not standing 10 yards away from a free kick but refused to leave the field for eight minutes. Police eventually had to escort him off the pitch.

England won 1-0 through a Geoff Hurst header that Argentina insisted was offside. After the match, Argentina’s Roberto Ferreiro confronted the referee and tore his shirt while England manager Alf Ramsey ran onto the pitch to stop his players from swapping shirts with their rivals, as was tradition.

Furious at how the match had unfolded, Ramsey later branded the Argentines “animals.”

Argentina’s football federation asked FIFA for special permission to mark his passing and the request was approved. Before kickoff against Switzerland, the players observed a minute’s silence in his memory and they wore the black armbands throughout the match to honour Rattin, one of the country’s most influential footballers.

1986: England 1-2 Argentina.

Played in Mexico City four years after the Falklands War, this quarterfinal produced two of football’s most famous moments. Diego Maradona punched in the opening goal, later calling it the “Hand of God,” then scored one of the greatest goals ever seen minutes later, beating five England players on a run from his own half. Gary Lineker’s late reply wasn’t enough, and Argentina went on to win the tournament.

1998: England 2-2 Argentina (Argentina win 4-3 on penalties).

This Round of 16 thriller in France saw teenager Michael Owen score a brilliant solo goal before David Beckham was sent off for kicking out at Diego Simeone. England held on with ten men but lost the penalty shootout.

2002: Argentina 0-1 England.

Beckham made amends in Japan scoring the only goal from the penalty spot in the group stage. The result helped knock Argentina out at the group stage for the only time since 1962.