Gary Lineker has been criticized for referring to the Falkland Islands as 'Malvinas' during an episode of the Netflix podcast "The Rest is Football." The former England striker made the comment while discussing a potential semi-final match between England and Argentina, referencing the historical relationship between the two nations.
"England could face Argentina in a semi-final, we're getting ahead of ourselves a fraction, but so much history between our nations isn't there?" Lineker said on the podcast. "It's not that long ago our two countries were at war, with the Falklands or Malvinas, even before that?"
The reference to the islands, known as the Falklands in the United Kingdom, has sparked backlash on social media. Numerous users expressed that Lineker's remarks were disrespectful to British military personnel who died during the Falklands War in 1982. Approximately 255 British military personnel died in the conflict.
The sovereignty of the Falkland Islands remains a sensitive issue in the UK.
Lineker's comments followed a circulating clip of the Argentinian national football team singing a new World Cup anthem that references 'Malvinas' in its lyrics. The footage, shared by the Argentine Football Association, showed players singing after a recent victory. During his career as a BBC pundit, Lineker covered six World Cups. His contract with the BBC for World Cup coverage reportedly ended after controversial remarks made following England's Euro 2024 defeat and a deleted social media post in May 2025.