England could be heading to play Argentina in Buenos Aires for the first time since the Falklands War.
If the Three Lions beat Spain in Sunday’s Euro final and the Argentines overcome Colombia in the final of the Copa America they will be scheduled to meet each other in the CONMEBOL-UEFA Cup of Champions next summer.
The competition was revived under the banner of the ‘Finalissima’ in 2022 when Argentina beat Italy 3-0 at Wembley after both nations won their continental title. It is likely that the next game will be staged in South America - and is heading for the Argentine capital.
England have not visited Argentina since before the 1982 conflict between the two nations in the South Atlantic.
Their last trip to Buenos Aires was in 1977 when the two countries were reduced to 10 men during an ill-tempered friendly arranged ahead of Argentina staging the World Cup the following year, when England failed to qualify.
Bad blood between the two nations started in 1966 when Argentina captain Antonio Rattin was sent off during a 1-0 World Cup quarter-final defeat at Wembley after which England boss Alf Ramsey called the South Americans “animals.”
Twenty years later, Diego Maradona inflicted revenge with his Hand of God goal as Argentina beat England 2-1 in a Mexico City quarter-final on the way to becoming world champions.
Their last competitive meeting was in the group stages of the 2002 World Cup, when David Beckham ’s penalty secured victory in South Korea.
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