FIFA is facing accusations of hypocrisy after an England fan's flag was prohibited from World Cup stadiums due to its depiction of a submarine, only for Argentina players to later display a banner claiming the Falkland Islands as Argentine territory.
Lewis Watts, a 31-year-old shipyard worker from Barrow, England, was among a group of fans whose Barrow AFC flag was deemed inadmissible by stadium officials. According to FIFA's rules, banners with military imagery or political statements are not allowed. FIFA stated that the flag was banned because "the item includes imagery of weapons or military (submarine)." Watts explained that his local club's badge features a submarine to signify Barrow's long-standing shipbuilding heritage.
"It's just typical double standards from FIFA, complete hypocrites – and what will they do to Argentina? Slap them on the wrist and give them a fine; they should be kicked out," Watts told the Daily Mail. He added that fans were required to cover the submarine on their flag with gaffer tape to comply with regulations.
Despite an agreement between FIFA and Argentina that no political slogans would be permitted at the Atlanta Stadium, Argentina players Lisandro Martinez and Giovani Lo Celso were seen holding and waving a flag that read "Las Malvinas son Argentinas," meaning "The Falklands are Argentine." The Falkland Islands are a British Overseas Territory, the subject of a war between Britain and Argentina in 1982, and remain a point of dispute, with Argentina referring to them as Las Malvinas.
FIFA's stadium code of conduct explicitly prohibits materials that are "of a political, offensive and/or discriminatory nature." Similarly, the International Football Association Board (IFAB) rulebook states that equipment must not feature "any political, religious or personal slogans, statements or images."
This is not the first instance of political messaging causing controversy in the World Cup. FIFA previously fined the Argentine Football Association approximately £20,000 after its players displayed a banner with the same message before a friendly match against Slovenia in 2014.