Buenos Aires, July 12, 2026
Former Argentine midfielder Antonio Rattín, who entered football history as the "midwife" of the red card through his legendary appearance at the 1966 World Cup quarter-final against England, has died at the age of 89.
The death of the former midfielder was announced by his long-time club Boca Juniors via its social media channels on Saturday. "Mit großer Trauer nehmen wir Abschied von Antonio Ubaldo Rattín, dem Idol und Aushängeschild unseres Vereins", the club said. Rattín was a defining figure of Argentine football and is still regarded today as one of the most colorful personalities in the sport.
The incident that was to make Rattín world-famous occurred at the quarter-final of the 1966 World Cup in England. The Argentinians faced the host nation, who won the match 1-0. The Argentine entered the history of world football through his legendary altercation with German referee Rudolf Kreitlein.
The legendary incident of 1966
Rattín had taken the field as captain of the Argentine team and became embroiled in a heated dispute with Kreitlein, which ultimately led to the introduction of the red card as a visible sign of a sending-off. Up to that point, players who were sent off had to leave the pitch on the referee's instruction, without there being any uniform symbol.