England vs Argentina: Oxford couple divided over World Cup

Matthew Newman and Romina Ledesma, who have been together for five years and live in Little Milton, will be backing different sides as England face Argentina in a high-stakes match on the world stage.

Mr Newman, a passionate England supporter, said: “There is a lot of history between the two countries, inside and outside of football and it’s the first time I will have watched a game between the two – even better that it’s on the world stage in a semi-final of the World Cup.”

His partner, from Argentina, is just as excited.

Romi said: “It will be Leo’s first time against England so it’s a very important game for Argentina tonight as well.”

The pair have been teasing each other since the start of the tournament, fully aware that a clash between their teams was always a possibility.

Matt, who works in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, said they have exchanged ‘lots of small jokes here and there’, with “the occasional ‘It’s coming home’ mid-conversation and chats about what I’ll be doing when we win.”.

Ms Ledesma added: “We were joking about playing against each other in this World Cup at some point, but we didn’t expect that to happen, and suddenly… here we are!

“We have been teasing each other match by match, but not just each other but also with our Argentinians and English friends.”

Despite their playful rivalry, the couple agree that watching the game together might not be the best idea this time.

Matt said: “We decided it’s probably not best to watch together, especially considering it would be a little odd going together to a place full of English supporters and Romi is there on her own supporting Argentina.”

Romi said she will watch the game with her Argentinian friends.

She said: “I will be watching it with my Argentinian friends at their house, which will be super fun! I feel it would be a bit awkward watching it in any bar/pub being an Argentinian supporter.”

Football holds deep personal meaning for both fans, each convinced of their team’s chances.

Matt said: “We’ve come so close to winning things in the past couple of years, and I really do think that this time we can go all the way.

“Jude is in the form of his life and can always count on Kane to bag a goal when we need one.”

Yet Romi is equally optimistic about Argentina’s prospects.

She said: “As Argentinians, we are passionate people, and that passion shows in the way we support our teams.

“Whether it’s football, hockey, polo, Formula 1, basketball, or any other sport, we always give our full support to the athletes no matter the result.”

Each has their own score prediction, adding extra anticipation to the evening.

Matt predicts a 3-1 win for England whilst Romi reckons it will be 4-2 Argentina.

He said: “I think we have too much pace on the wings for Argentina and they play such a high line – but wouldn’t be surprised if they got a goal first – as they have players with great quality.”

Romi expects a high-scoring win for her team.

She said: “Argentina have been giving us small heart attacks in the last few matches, but I feel tonight they will be pressing and playing hard from the start.”