BUENOS AIRES: Antonio Rattin, one of Argentina’s greatest midfielders who played at the 1962 and 1966 World Cups and spent his entire club career with Boca Juniors, died on Saturday at the age of 89, the Argentine club said.

“With great sorrow, we mourn the passing of Antonio Ubaldo Rattin, an idol and symbol of our institution. We stand with his family and loved ones at this difficult time. Farewell, Rata,” Boca said in a post on X.

Nicknamed “Rata” (Rat), Rattin made 382 appearances for Boca between 1956 and 1970, scoring 28 goals and winning four league titles. He also helped the Buenos Aires club to reach the 1963 Copa Libertadores final. He represented Argentina from 1959 to 1969 and played at the 1962 and 1966 World Cups.

Rattin was involved in one of the most controversial incidents in World Cup history when he was sent off during Argentina’s 1-0 quarter-final defeat by hosts England at Wembley in 1966.

The captain refused to leave the pitch immediately after German referee Rudolf Kreitlein dismissed him, saying he had not understood the decision because the referee did not speak Spanish. On his way off, Rattin famously crumpled an England corner flag and sat for several minutes on a red carpet reserved for Queen Elizabeth II in protest.

“When I got to the corner, I twisted the English flag and insulted them. Then I went over to the carpet the Queen used to enter the stadium and sat there for about five minutes. It was a very nice red carpet,” Rattin recalled years later in an interview.

The incident highlighted the communication problems between referees and players from different countries, and FIFA introduced the yellow and red card system at the following World Cup in 1970.

“I only wore two shirts in my entire life, Boca’s and Argentina’s,” Rattin said in one of his final interviews.

After retiring as a player, he had a brief spell as Boca’s coach in 1980 before serving as a member of Argentina’s lower house of Congress for a centre-right political party.

Published in Dawn, July 13th, 2026