Argentina wore black armbands against Switzerland in the 2026 FIFA World Cup quarterfinal to honor Antonio Rattín, whose infamous 1966 World Cup sending-off inspired FIFA’s yellow and red car…
quarterfinals at Arrowhead Stadium on Saturday night, one detail stood out against the Albiceleste’s iconic white-and-and-sky-blue jerseys: black armbands wrapped around every player’s and coaches’ sleeve.
If you’re wondering why Lionel Messi and his teammates wore this all black armband, it was reserved as a tribute for, the former Argentina captain and Boca Juniors legend who died at 89 years old after a suspected stroke on Saturday. At the request of the Argentine Football Association, FIFA granted permission for the team to wear the black armbands in his honor.
Argentina’s Lionel Messi wears a black armband on his right arm in memory of former Argentina player Antonio Rattín during the World Cup quarterfinal soccer match against Switzerland in Kansas City, Mo. , Saturday, July 11, 2026.
Rattin, a legendary midfielder, captained Argentina’s fiery 1966 World Cup quarterfinal against England—a rivalry which ironically will be“Our manager had told me that if the referee was calling things poorly, I would ask for an interpreter because I was the captain and the rules would back me up,” Rattín recalled years later.
“I asked for one because the son of a b**** referee was calling everything for them, and the guy threw me out. ” CONMEBOL president Nicolas Leoz speaks with former Argentine footballer Antonio Ubaldo Rattin during a meeting at Leoz’s country residence, El Arriero, in Ypacarai, 40 km from Asuncion, on January 28, 2009.
Former midfielder Antonio Ubaldo Rattin, regarded as one of the greatest idols in Boca Juniors’ history, died on July 11, 2026, at the age of 89, according to the club. His dramatic protest, which included him not leaving the field of play for 10 minutes until he had to be escorted off by police amid a shower of abuse by English supporters who threw full cans of beer at him, exposed a glaring flaw in soccer’s officiating: there was no universal way to communicate disciplinary decisions across multiple languages.
Reading about the match the next day, Ken Aston, who served as the Chairman of the FIFA Referees’ Committee and the supervisor in charge of all match officials during the 1966 World Cup,FIFA responded by creating the yellow and red card system, which was first introduced in the 1970 World Cup in Mexico. Over a half a century later, Rattin getting sent off in what is now commonly referred to as “the theft of century” is considered the genesis of the current yellow and red card system still used today.
Rattin later served his country in politics before retiring, but on Saturday night in Kansas City, his legacy was honored by his former team. The black armbands were not just a symbol of grief, they were a reminder to his place in World Cup history and a salute to a man whose defiance forever changed the sport of soccer.
Argentina's Lionel Messi wears a black armband on his right arm in memory of former Argentina player Antonio Rattín during the World Cup quarterfinal soccer match against Switzerland in Kansas City, Mo. , Saturday, July 11, 2026. CONMEBOL president Nicolas Leoz speaks with former Argentine footballer Antonio Ubaldo Rattin during a meeting at Leoz's country residence, El Arriero, in Ypacarai, 40 km from Asuncion, on January 28, 2009.
Former midfielder Antonio Ubaldo Rattin, regarded as one of the greatest idols in Boca Juniors' history, died on July 11, 2026, at the age of 89, according to the club.
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