The Simeone name and England's World Cup heartache go hand in hand, and Giuliano Simeone wasted no time reminding everyone of that fact during Argentina's fiery semi-final clash with the Three Lions in Atalanta.
From the opening whistle, the grudge match lived up to its billing. Chelsea's Enzo Fernandez appeared to catch Elliot Anderson with an elbow to the back of the head in the opening minutes — an incident that somehow escaped punishment and set the tone for a bruising, ill-tempered first half.
Anderson found himself at the centre of multiple physical exchanges, while Jude Bellingham was visibly furious at the antics of Leandro Paredes, Cristian Romero, and Lionel Messi as tensions boiled over across the pitch.
Then came the moment that had fans reaching for the history books. Midway through the first half, Atletico Madrid wideman Giuliano Simeone refused to return the ball to England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford — then fell dramatically to the ground as Pickford reclaimed it. The theatrics instantly caught fire online, with one fan writing: "Giuliano Simeone living up to the family name by just being on the field to foul and wind up England players..."
For those wondering — yes, there is absolutely a family connection. Giuliano is the son of Diego Simeone, one of the most reviled figures in English football history.
Cast your mind back to the 1998 World Cup in France. Diego Simeone's provocation of David Beckham in the last-16 led to the Three Lions icon being shown a red card for kicking out at the Argentine. England were subsequently dumped out on penalties, and Simeone became a villain on these shores — a status that has endured for nearly three decades.
While Beckham took enormous criticism for his reaction, English supporters reserved particular fury for Simeone, believing he conned the referee by exaggerating the contact. The Argentine himself confirmed as much a year later in 1999, admitting: "Let's just say the referee fell into the trap. It was also a difficult one for him to have avoided because I went down well and in moments like that there's a lot of tension. You could say that my falling transformed a yellow card into a red card. But in fact, the most appropriate punishment was a yellow one."
Now, 28 years on, the next generation is carrying the torch. Giuliano, 23, was born in Rome in 2003 while his father was playing for Lazio. He grew up in Argentina before joining Atletico Madrid in 2019, where Diego has served as manager since 2011. The younger Simeone has since established himself as a regular at the Spanish club, racking up 104 appearances.
Giuliano followed his father's international path by earning his Argentina debut in 2024 and was named in Lionel Scaloni's 26-man squad for this summer's World Cup — where he delivered an all-action display against England that proved the old rivalry between these two nations, and this particular family name, remains very much alive.