Why did Argentina wear black arm bands in their quarterfinal match against Switzerland?

KANSAS CITY — Throughout Argentina’s 3-1 tense victory over Switzerland within the 2026 FIFA World Cup quarterfinals at Arrowhead Stadium on Saturday evening, one element stood out towards the Albiceleste’s iconic white-and-and-sky-blue jerseys: black armbands wrapped round each participant’s and coaches’ sleeve.

Should you’re questioning why Lionel Messi and his teammates wore this all black armband, it was reserved as a tribute for Antonio Rattin, the previous Argentina captain and Boca Juniors legend who died at 89 years previous after a suspected stroke on Saturday.

On the request of the Argentine Soccer Affiliation, FIFA granted permission for the staff to put on the black armbands in his honor.

Rattin, a legendary midfielder, captained Argentina’s fiery 1966 World Cup quarterfinal towards England—a rivalry which sarcastically can be renewed once more on Wednesday in Atlanta 60 years later—and was famously despatched off in that match by German referee Rudolf Kreitlein after a heated alternate neither man totally understood. Rattin refused to depart the pitch till an interpreter was supplied.

“Our supervisor had instructed me that if the referee was calling issues poorly, I’d ask for an interpreter as a result of I used to be the captain and the principles would again me up,” Rattín recalled years later. “I requested for one as a result of the son of a b**** referee was calling every thing for them, and the man threw me out.”

His dramatic protest, which included him not leaving the sphere of play for 10 minutes till he needed to be escorted off by police amid a bathe of abuse by English supporters who threw full cans of beer at him, uncovered a obvious flaw in soccer’s officiating: there was no common approach to talk disciplinary selections throughout a number of languages.

Studying in regards to the match the subsequent day, Ken Aston, who served because the Chairman of the FIFA Referees’ Committee and the supervisor answerable for all match officers throughout the 1966 World Cup, created a yellow and crimson card system with the assistance of his spouse after being impressed by a visitors mild.

FIFA responded by creating the yellow and crimson card system, which was first launched within the 1970 World Cup in Mexico. Over a half a century later, Rattin getting despatched off in what’s now generally known as “the theft of century” is taken into account the genesis of the present yellow and crimson card system nonetheless used immediately.

Rattin later served his nation in politics earlier than retiring, however on Saturday evening in Kansas Metropolis, his legacy was honored by his former staff. The black armbands weren’t only a image of grief, they had been a reminder to his place in World Cup historical past and a salute to a person whose defiance eternally modified the game of soccer.

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