The footballing rivalry between Argentina and England remains one of the most intense and emotionally charged fixtures in international football.

Fuelled by decades of history, political undertones, and passionate emotions, few encounters in world football can match the fierce energy that surrounds these clashes, particularly when they unfold on the grandest stage – the FIFA World Cup.

The two nations faced each other in the 1998 and 2002 World Cups, with both meetings delivering drama, controversy, passion, and ultimately, mutual respect between the sides.

Former Argentina captain Javier Zanetti, who played in both tournaments, has now clarified that the Albiceleste’s post-match celebrations in Saint-Étienne in 1998 — when players were seen banging on the windows of the England team bus — were not intended to provoke or disrespect their opponents.

“We never felt we were disrespecting anyone,” the former Inter Milan defender told FourFourTwo. “That’s simply how we celebrated our victories — with passion and joy.”

Recalling the atmosphere, Zanetti added, “We would arrive at the stadiums singing, just like fans, and if we won, we left the same way. There was no reprimand from England. They understood our celebrations, and there was mutual respect.”

The two nations crossed paths again in the group stage of the 2002 World Cup, but Zanetti maintains that Argentina were not fixated on talk of England seeking revenge for what had happened four years earlier.

“Despite all the media build-up, we were focused on our own game,” he continued. “It didn’t interest us. What happened between Simeone and Beckham in 1998 stayed on the pitch.”

He went on: “I’m sure both men remembered what happened when they shook hands in 2002, but football is like that — what happens on the pitch stays there.”

The 2002 encounter was decided by a solitary goal, with David Beckham converting a penalty after Mauricio Pochettino was judged to have fouled Michael Owen inside the box.

Nearly twenty-five years later, debate still continues over whether referee Pierluigi Collina was right to award the spot-kick.

Reflecting on that moment, Zanetti said, “We came from a generation that knew the tricks of the street — small moves to gain an advantage — and Owen used one. It wasn’t a penalty, but without VAR, there wasn’t much that could be done. In my opinion, England didn’t deserve to win. It was an even match, decided by one small detail. That said, for Argentina, going out at the group stage was a huge disappointment. We had great expectations for that team, and we fell well short.”

Zanetti shared his reflections while speaking in association with the MagiCup youth tournament, scheduled between June 1 and 5 at Walt Disney World in Florida.