Argentina could be in trouble with FIFA after several players displayed a political banner supporting the country’s claim to the Falkland Islands following their dramatic 2-1 FIFA World Cup semi-final victory over England.
The reigning world champions fought back from a goal down to defeat Thomas Tuchel’s England in Atlanta on Wednesday, with Enzo Fernández and Lautaro MartÃnez scoring late goals to seal Argentina’s place in Sunday’s World Cup final against Spain. However, the celebrations after the final whistle may now attract the attention of world football’s governing body.
Several Argentina players held up a banner reading “Las Malvinas son Argentinas” (“The Falklands are Argentine”), a slogan linked to the long-running sovereignty dispute between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the Falkland Islands, known in Argentina as Las Malvinas.
The Falkland Islands, a British Overseas Territory in the South Atlantic, have remained at the centre of diplomatic tensions for decades. The dispute escalated into the 1982 Falklands War, a 74-day conflict that claimed the lives of 655 Argentine military personnel, 255 British servicemen and three island residents.
FIFA has previously taken disciplinary action over similar incidents. In 2014, the Argentine Football Association was fined £20,000 after the national team displayed the same political banner before an international friendly against Slovenia. FIFA ruled that the act violated its regulations prohibiting political messages during official football activities.
Argentina’s Vice-President, Victoria Villarruel, also reignited the controversy after the victory by posting on X that the match “wasn’t just another game,” alongside a video appearing to show Argentine soldiers. She added: “The Falklands are Argentine. They banned bringing them to the stadium and forgot that we carry them in our blood and our hearts.” Before the semi-final, Villarruel had described the fixture as being about “putting the invaders in their place.”
Despite the political backdrop, Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni had repeatedly urged that football should remain separate from historical disputes. Speaking before the match, Scaloni said: “The reality is that this is a football match. I can’t mix things up, especially out of respect for what happened so many years ago. It was a very sad period in our history. We shouldn’t confuse the two.”
The emotionally charged semi-final was played under heightened security due to the historic rivalry between the two nations. England took the lead through Anthony Gordon before Argentina mounted another trademark late comeback, with Enzo Fernández equalising in the closing stages before Lautaro MartÃnez completed the turnaround to send La Albiceleste into another World Cup final. FIFA is yet to announce whether disciplinary proceedings will be opened over the post-match celebrations.
