A lone Argentina supporter had to be escorted away by Metropolitan Police officers after being surrounded by throngs of England fans in Piccadilly Circus following their World Cup defeat on Wednesday evening. The man, wearing an Argentina shirt with Messi emblazoned on it, was flanked by officers who formed a bubble around him and ushered him to a police van as fans shouted and swore, calling him a ‘w****r’ and making hand gestures. At least one object is said to have been thrown at him. Police confirmed seven arrests were made, including one for racially aggravated assault and four for affray. A Met spokesperson said: ‘As crowds were dispersing after the match, officers on duty in Piccadilly Circus became aware of a lone Argentina fan who was being surrounded by England fans. They intervened before any harm could come to him.’
While tensions flared in London, celebrations erupted 7,000 miles away in the Patagonian town of Cutral Co, where a crowd of about 300 locals had watched the match on a screen set up next to an 85-foot statue of Lionel Messi. The crowd quickly swelled to several thousand after Argentina came from 1-0 down to win 2-1. Orange and red fireworks exploded around Messi's head. “It was a victory of suffering,” said Lucas Romero, a 32-year-old local, standing next to his beaming wife. He motioned to the statue, inaugurated in June by local artist Aldo Beroisa, which the town declared the tallest monument to Messi in the world: “It's a good recognition of all that Messi has done.”
“A lone Argentina fan was rescued by police in London after being swarmed by England fans following the World Cup defeat.”
The semi-final was framed by history and rivalry, including England’s 1966 World Cup victory, the 1982 war over the Falkland Islands, and Diego Maradona's “Hand of God” goal in 1986. Before the game, Argentina's Vice President Victoria Villarruel wrote on X: “I'm not going to be politically correct or cold-hearted; against the English, it's always something more. It's the Malvinas, it's Diego, it's Leo's last one, and it's putting the brakes on the invaders.” In Buenos Aires, fans waved flags and chanted as drivers honked to celebrate the victory after a mostly empty city during the match.
For England fans, the defeat was bitter. Twin brothers Luke and Vee Moore, aged 33, watched at Wembley’s Boxpark. Vee said: ‘We fumbled it. I’m feeling disappointed, this was a great chance to win the World Cup and this was a weak Argentina team. If we got out-classed, I’d be like, okay, cool. England did not play a better team today. We were too defensive after we went one nil up.’ Luke said he was disappointed because he ‘thought it was coming home.’ Now only Spain stand between Argentina and their attempt in Sunday's final to become the first country to win back-to-back World Cup titles since 1962.