Stuart Pearce condemned the ‘disrespectful’ decision by England and Argentina fans to boo each other’s national anthems.
The international rivals lock horns in a highly charged 2026 World Cup semi-final clash on Wednesday, live on talkSPORT.
And with tensions already high, both sets of supporters voiced their displeasure as the respective anthems begun with neither being heard as well due to the opposition vitriol both were greeted with.
“It’s the most disrespectful I’ve ever known two sets of fans to be so anti each other’s anthems,” Pearce said on World Cup GameDay Live.
“And to be fair, I fully expected it to be honest to you, it shows venom.”
England’s semi-final showdown in North America marked the first competitive clash between the pair since the 2002 World Cup.
David Beckham, who appeared to cry during the anthems, scored the only goal of the game, netting from the spot in a 1-0 win.
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Why are England and Argentina rivals?
England’s rivalry on the pitch with Argentina stems from the 1966 World Cup, as the Three Lions claimed a 1-0 win over the South American powerhouse.
Argentina felt there were unfairly officiated in the narrow defeat, which saw Antonio Rattin shown his marching orders in the first half.
England went on to win the World Cup with a 4-2 win over West Germany, which remains their only international triumph to date.
The South American exacted revenge over England at the Azteca Stadium 20 years later as Diego Maradona netted twice in a 2-1 win.
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