To display this YouTube content, you must allow advertising and audience measurement cookies.
An extension on your browser appears to be blocking the video player from loading. In order to view this content, you must disable it on this site.
First modification: 06/04/2026 - 18:17
In 2026, it will be 40 years since the legendary confrontation between Argentina and England in the quarterfinals of the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, a match that for many remains the most emblematic and controversial in the history of the World Cups. A new documentary remembers that match to explore not only what happened on the pitch, but also the political and social context that surrounded it, just four years after the Falklands War. Its directors, Juan Cabral and Santiago Franco, were at Carrusel de las Artes to talk about this production and the stories hidden behind those 90 minutes that marked football forever.
Sometimes, football is much more than a sport. In ninety minutes historical rivalries, national wounds and desires for revenge can be condensed. That was precisely what happened on June 22, 1986, when the Argentine and England teams met at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City in one of the most memorable matches of all time.
Read also
1970, 1986, 1994: Three legendary World Cups in Mexico and the United States
The documentary El Partido, directed by Juan Cabral and Santiago Franco, recovers that story from a contemporary perspective and a careful visual proposal. Premiered world-wide at the Cannes Festival, the production combines archival images, testimonies of the protagonists and historical documents to reconstruct the context that turned that duel into much more than a football match.
The film shows the multiple layers that came together in that match. Four years earlier, Argentina and the United Kingdom had fought a war over the Malvinas Islands, a conflict that ended with the Argentine surrender and left a deep mark on the collective memory of the South American country, which maintains its claim to sovereignty over the archipelago to this day.
Beyond the geopolitical dimension, The Match also gives voice to some of the footballers who starred in that historic day, among them Jorge Valdano, Gary Lineker, John Barnes and Julio Olarticoechea. Their testimonies allow us to revisit the tension that was experienced on the field, Diego Maradona's controversial goal with the so-called “Hand of God” and the extraordinary play that led to what many consider the best goal in the history of the World Cups.
Read alsoMaradona, milestone of Argentine football and "hand of God"
Through these stories, the documentary proposes a reflection on memory, rivalry, national identity and the role that football can play as a mirror of the great conflicts of its time.
Juan Cabral and Santiago Franco were at Carrusel de las Artes to talk about this production, which will hit the screens in July 2026, coinciding with the 40th anniversary of a match that remains, for many, the most emblematic and controversial match in the history of the World Cups.
📲Subscribe here to the France 24 channel on WhatsApp and access all the content to understand what is happening in the world.
Related keywords
The content you requested does not exist or is no longer available.
