Why Argentina wore black armbands ahead of World Cup semi-final match against England

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

Typically, Argentina always take to the pitch in pale blue and white stripes - but on Sunday (12 July), the South American players added a black armband to their kit.

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 the case on Sunday, it was to show respect for iconic Argentinian footballer Antonio Rattin, who died on 11 July at the age of 89.

Argentina's team were seen wearing black armbands in their match against Switzerland on Sunday (Carl Recine/Getty Images)

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.

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.

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

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."

While it's yet to be confirmed, the Argentine team may wear the black armbands once more for their semi-final match against England tonight (15 July).

As many know, 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 officially in the final stages of the competition, with all of the semi-final competitors now confirmed.

England confirmed their place in the semi-finals 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 tonight at 8pm UK time, with the match becoming the latest in a decades-long rivalry between the two nations.