Argentina wear black armbands in memory of former captain Antonio Rattín
Black armbands are worn in football as a symbol of mourning and respect for significant figures in the sport or victims of major tragedies
Argentina's players wore black armbands during their World Cup quarter-final against Switzerland after receiving Fifa permission to honour former captain Antonio Rattín, whose death at the age of 89 was announced recently.
Black armbands are worn in football as a symbol of mourning and respect for significant figures in the sport or victims of major tragedies. In Fifa competitions, teams must obtain approval before wearing them during matches.
The armbands are traditionally worn on the right arm to distinguish them from a captain's armband, which is usually worn on the left. They are commonly accompanied by a minute's silence before kick-off and have been used in the past to honour figures including Pelé and Franz Beckenbauer, as well as victims of terrorist attacks, natural disasters and other tragedies. Variations have also been used to support commemorative and charitable causes, says USA Today.
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Rattín, a lifelong Boca Juniors player and captain of Argentina, is remembered not only for his playing career but also for an incident at the 1966 World Cup that led to a lasting change in the game's disciplinary system.
During Argentina's quarter-final against England in London, German referee Rudolf Kreitlein sent off Rattín in a heated match. Rattín remained on the field for several minutes, insisting on an interpreter because he said he could not understand the referee's verbal instructions.
After leaving the pitch, Rattín sat on a red carpet reserved for Queen Elizabeth II and crumpled an England pennant, adding to tensions surrounding the match. England went on to win 1-0 before lifting the World Cup title. The contest also became known for England manager Alf Ramsey describing the Argentine players as "animals", contributing to a long-running sporting rivalry between the two nations.
The incident highlighted the difficulties referees faced when communicating disciplinary decisions across language barriers. Fifa later introduced the yellow and red card system as a universal visual method of signalling cautions and dismissals. The system was first used at the 1970 World Cup in Mexico and has since become a standard feature of the sport worldwide.
Beyond football, Rattín entered politics and became the first former professional footballer to serve in Argentina's National Chamber of Deputies, where he held office from 2001 to 2005.
