The rivalry between England and Argentina is among the most intense in world football dating back 60 years.
The last competitive meeting between the two sides prior to the 2026 World Cup was the 2002 showdown in Japan. Three Manchester United players had a key role in leading the team to victory.
But the first tournament meeting between the sides was in 1966, with England winning 1-0 in a bad-tempered quarter-final at Wembley. After the game manager Alf Ramsey attacked the Argentina players as ‘animals’, an insult that provoked anger.
And so two years later when Manchester United’s all-conquering European Cup winning team were drawn against Estudiantes, it set up two brutally contested games, with the Red Devils heading into the lion’s den.
Manchester United vs Estudiantes: The away leg
Manchester United and Estudiantes faced off in the Intercontinental Cup in 1968. It was the Red Devils’ reward for winning the European Cup, the chance to earn the bragging right of the world’s best team.
United’s visiting team featured a mix of players from England, Ireland, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Estudiantes’ entire starting XI were from Argentina, and they were out for revenge.
Estudiantes’ desire to win was driven by national pride, and Nobby Stiles was public enemy number one.
Stiles, along with Bobby Charlton, had featured for England in the World Cup win at Wembley and he had been in the thick of the action. Stiles had been spat at by Argentine players amid the various scuffles.
The two England players were dealt out particularly harsh treatment from the brutal Argentine tactics in the away leg, played in front of a small but baying crowd of 25,000.
Marcos Conigliaro scored a first half goal for Estudiantes that was enough to give them a 1-0 home victory. He passed away in March 2026, with a tribute claiming that his goal made him ‘an eternal figure’ to Estudiantes fans.
Davis Sadler scored an equalising goal for United (pictured above) but it was ruled out for offside.
But it was the Estudiantes tactics that formed the real story of the game and infuriated United manager Sir Matt Busby, who blasted: “Argentinians should be banned from all competitive football.”
Estudiantes spent the game attempting to rile up Nobby Stiles, who was spat at and headbutted. Even before the game, the fans threw a bag of old meat at the midfielder.
Despite all this ill-treatment, it was Stiles who was eventually sent off after receiving two bookings, the second of which was for dissent towards the referee.
Sir Bobby Charlton was unable to complete the game after suffering an injury, a wound that required stitches.
Decades on, Charlton took a diplomatic view, commenting: “I have never ever known such a tense atmosphere. It was like nothing else I have ever played in. It was a very tough place to go. It was an experience I wouldn’t have missed. It was fantastic.”
George Best’s comments after the summed up United’s anger at the time, blasting: “We should never go there again.”
Manchester United vs Estudiantes: The home leg
Old Trafford was packed out with an attendance of 63,000 looking for United to exact revenge against Estudiantes three weeks later.
Nobby Stiles was suspended but Charlton had recovered from his injury to be named as a starter.
The tone was set for a continued aggressive approach from the South Americans when George Best was brought down off the ball inside the first 20 seconds.
It was Estudiantes who took the early lead, with a 6th minute goal scored by Juan Ramon Veron, the father of future Manchester United midfielder Juan Sebastian Veron. Veron scored when he headed in a cross from the right, a goal similar to the one Conigliaro scored in the first leg.
The game was another bad-tempered affair. Denis Law suffered an injury which requires stitches after a collision with the goalkeeper, and Willie Morgan was among the many players to clash with an opponent. Estudiantes were also guilty of time-wasting as they tried to run down the clock.
It was George Best who finally snapped after being repeatedly fouled throughout the game.
In an off the ball incident, a fed-up Best punched Jose Medina in the face in the 89th minute. He was shown a red card, and so was Medina for his part in the melee.
The incident sparked United into life, although a little late. When play resumed, Willie Morgan latched onto the free-kick and scored a 90th minute equaliser. The goal clinched a draw on the night and cut the deficit to 2-1 on aggregate.
There was still time for more drama, with European Cup Final sensation Brian Kidd scoring in stoppage time to clinch the win and make it 2-2. However, the goal was disallowed as the Yugoslavian referee had already blown the whistle for full-time.
Estudiantes players claimed their players had stopped due to the whistle. They celebrated with their staff on the pitch, to the jeers of United fans.
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Reunited 50 years on
There was no doubt that the Intercontinental Cup was a miserable experience for the Manchester United players, who had dreamed of glory. Instead it was a battle that at times did not even resemble a football match.
It is testament to the character of the players involved that 50 years on there was a reunion between the Manchester United and Estudiantes players, in a more friendly setting.
The surviving members of the Estudiantes team travelled to Manchester for a reunion held at Old Trafford in 2018, hosted by Paddy Crerand, who played in the tie for United.
Juan Ramon Veron was among those to make the trip. Veron passed away in April 2025.
Crerand reflected: “We had a late goal disallowed and the result was disappointing for us but great for them. They were the better side and deserved to beat us.”
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