Why Argentina is wearing black arm bands against England in World Cup semi final

When Argentina took to the pitch against Switzerland in Kansas City, some eagle-eyed fans spotted an unusual addition to their kit.

Argentina take to the pitch in pale blue and white stripes, and now players are also wearing a black armband while on the pitch.

It's not unusual for players to sometimes have additions to their uniform on the pitch, either for individual players or for the team as a whole.

Armbands are sometimes used to express support or respect for something.

And as the black colour might allude to, in the case of Argentina these armbands are being worn by players on the pitch as a commemoration.

In this case, it was to show respect for iconic Argentinian footballer Antonio Rattin, who has died at the age of 89.

Rattin spent his entire career at Boca Juniors in Buenos Aires, and also represented the country for 10 years between 1959 and 1969, including twice at the World Cup in 1962 and 1966.

Rattin at the 1966 World Cup (Central Press/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

In a statement, Boca Juniors said: "With great sorrow, we mourn the passing of Antonio Ubaldo Rattin, an idol and symbol of our institution. We stand with his family and loved ones at this difficult time. Farewell, Rata."

But Rattin is perhaps best known, at least to England fans, for an incident at the 1966 World Cup in a match against England, one of many incidents between the two teams over their longstanding rivalry.

After being sent off, Rattin refused to leave the pitch, claiming not to understand German ref Rudolf Kreitlein.

While leaving the pitch he crumpled up an England corner flag, before sitting on a red carpet which had been set aside for Queen Elizabeth II.

Recalling the incident years later, Rattin is quoted by the BBC as saying: "When I got to the corner, I twisted the English flag and insulted them. Then I went over to the carpet the Queen used to enter the stadium and sat there for about five minutes. It was a very nice red carpet."

England and Argentina have an intense rivalry at the World Cup, including this incident as well as the infamous 'Hand of God' goal by Diego Maradona 20 years later in 1986.

Messi with one of the black armbands (Omar Vega/Getty Images)

The World Cup is now moving into the final stages of the competition, with all of the semifinal competitors now confirmed.

France was the first team to confirm their spot in the semifinals, beating Morocco 2-0 in the quarter finals after a 1-0 victory over Paraguay.

They will go up against Spain, who beat Belgium 2-1 in the quarter finals, and had previously won 1-0 over Portugal.

The two semifinalists are set to go head to head for a spot in the final at 8pm UK time on 14 July.

Meanwhile, England confirmed their place in the semifinals with a 2-1 win over Norway in the quarter finals, with Norway having knocked out Brazil in a surprise victory.

Prior to that, England had come out on top in a hard fought match against co-hosts Mexico, ultimately resulting in a 3-2 win for the Lions and making them one of very few teams to have beaten Mexico at Azteca Stadium.

Finally, defending champions Argentina became the final team to confirm their spot in the semifinals with a 3-1 win over Switzerland, having previously beaten Egypt 3-2 in a controversial match.

England and Argentina will face off on 15 July at 8pm UK time, with the match becoming the latest in a decades-long rivalry between England and Argentina.