Argentina fans visited the house of the late soccer star Diego Armando Maradona in Buenos Aires on Wednesday (July 15) to seek his blessing for the semifinal against England, a history-laden game for the two nations.

Fans took photographs at Maradona Corner, at the intersection of Segurola and Habana streets, in front of the soccer legend's house, where fans set up a makeshift shrine with candles, photographs of the 1986 game against England, and an Argentine flag with the Falkland Islands at the center.

From England's win at the 1966 World Cup to the shadow of the 1982 Falklands War, from Maradona's 'Hand of God' in 1986 to fierce duels in 1998 and 2002, meetings between the two countries have long felt larger than soccer.

Yet Argentina's players and coach Lionel Scaloni have sought to strip away the emotion surrounding the rivalry.

"That was a very sad period in our history. And there isn't much we can do about that — that's the truth — and this is a football match, nothing more,” he said on Tuesday.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

Excited fans gather outside late Maradona's house ahead of history-laden England semi-final game.

VIDEO SHOWS: FANS TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS OUTSIDE LATE SOCCER STAR DIEGO ARMANDO MARADONA'S HOUSE/ SOUNDBITES FROM FANS/ NEWSPAPER FRONT PAGES

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

SHOWS: BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA (JULY 15, 2026) (REUTERS – Access all)

1. VARIOUS OF NEWSPAPER KIOSK

2. HEADLINE READING (Spanish): “A single cry – Go Argentina”

3. HEADLINE READING (Spanish): “Anxiety consumes the country”

4. HEADLINE READING (Spanish): “Argentina-England: more than a World Cup semi-final, a game that will mark a generation”

5. BUILDING WITH ARGENTINE FLAGS IN VILLA DEVOTO, WHERE LATE SOCCER STAR DIEGO ARMANDO MARADONA LIVED

6. VARIOUS OF PLAQUE READING (Spanish): “Diego Armando Maradona Corner. In homage to a symbol of the world and Argentine soccer”

7. VARIOUS OF APARTMENT WHERE MARADONA USED TO LIVE WITH GIANT ARGENTINA FLAG

8. SIGNS

9. FAN DAVID JIMENEZ TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS WITH ARGENTINE FLAG

10. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) ARGENTINA FAN, DAVID JIMENEZ, SAYING:

"Thanks to him (Maradona), we were able to be happy in 1986 and, while not forgetting what happened in the Malvinas (Falkland Islands), we were able to live it differently, with some joy. So I'm very happy and nervous. I hope (Maradona) helps us today."

11. ARGENTINE FLAG WITH THE FALKLAND ISLANDS IN THE MIDDLE

12. FAN SAMUEL LLANOS TAKING PHOTOGRAPH WITH ARGENTINE FLAG

13. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) ARGENTINA FAN, SAMUEL LLANOS, SAYING:

"It's exciting, it's impressive — the strength, the guts, with fire in their bellies, as he used to say, and they went after them. So I'm very emotional because I was recalling that day. It was impressive. Today I hear the story and see the video and I get emotional. It's impossible not to. So I hope today we can win 1-0, whatever, and make it to the final."

14. FAN TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS OF MARADONA PHOTOGRAPHS OUTSIDE HIS HOUSE

15. MAKESHIFT SHRINE OUTSIDE MARADONA’S HOUSE ASKING FOR LUCK AHEAD OF THE ENGLAND GAME