Liverpool caused a stir on social media after posting a display of support for Argentine midfielder Alexis McAllister ahead of the match World Cup semi-final With England.
The Reds do not have a single player in the England squad that reached the quarter-finals in North America, although former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson and their former defender Jarel Quansah are both part of Thomas Tuchel’s squad.
However, they do have representation in Argentina’s squad in McAllister, who will hope to help the defending champions reach the final with a win in what is sure to be a highly charged match.
Liverpool raised eyebrows with a post on the X website (formerly Twitter) that said: “Mecca and Argentina face England for a place in the #FIFAWorldCup final.”
This was followed by a muscle emoji and an Argentine flag, which could be seen as support for the South American national team rather than England.
While many Liverpool players have excelled for England over the years, with Reds legend Roger Hunt scoring three goals to help the Three Lions win the 1966 World Cup, the club’s fans have a complicated relationship with the national team. Many from the Liverpool area refer to themselves as “Scouses not English”.
England and Argentina share one of the fiercest rivalries in international football, dating back to their first World Cup meeting in the quarter-finals in 1966, and exacerbated by ongoing tension over the Falkland Islands.
Britain and Argentina fought a war over the Falkland Islands in 1982, and the conflict, which lasted 74 days, led to the deaths of 649 Argentine soldiers, 255 British fighters, and three civilians. The Falkland Islands remain a territory under British control, despite Argentina’s insistence that the archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean is its own.
Four years later, Argentina beat England in the quarter-finals of the 1986 World Cup, thanks in part to Diego Maradona’s famous “Hand of God” goal, which he followed up with a stunning second goal. England lost on penalties to Argentina in the round of 16 in 1998, and the Three Lions avenged the defeat by winning the group stage in 2002.
The meeting on Wednesday for a place in the final with Spain is the first between the two teams since England’s 3-2 friendly victory in 2005.
