The British government has urged FIFA to investigate Argentina's national soccer team after players displayed a banner asserting sovereignty over the Falkland Islands following a World Cup semifinal victory against England. U.K. Business Secretary Peter Kyle described the players' actions as "entirely inappropriate" and stated his expectation that FIFA will conduct a "thorough" investigation.
Argentina, which refers to the islands as the Malvinas, defeated England 2-1 in the semifinal match. During post-match celebrations, Argentine players were seen holding a banner that read "Las Malvinas son Argentinas," meaning "The Malvinas are Argentine." The Falkland Islands are a British overseas territory.
FIFA's disciplinary code prohibits political, ideological, religious, or offensive messages at sporting events. Penalties for such violations can range from fines of $5,000 to $20,000.
Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands in 1982, an act that triggered a 10-week war won by Britain. The conflict resulted in the deaths of 649 Argentine troops, 255 British service personnel, and three islanders. The sporting rivalry between Argentina and England has historically been intensified by these political tensions over the South Atlantic archipelago.
Argentine player Lisandro Martínez, who plays for Manchester United in England, commented on the banner, stating, "We couldn't let the Argentine people down." He added, "Sadly, it is a sad part of our history for everyone involved in that chapter of, I repeat, our history. And it hurts. We knew we were playing for them, too."
British minister Kyle emphasized that "politics needs to be separate from football," adding that the World Cup's central tenets include this separation, and the matter is now for FIFA to address.
This incident follows other cases where FIFA has taken action regarding political messaging. In a 2012 London Olympics incident, a South Korean player was banned for two World Cup qualifying games after displaying a banner claiming territorial rights over islands disputed with Japan. More recently, the Serbian federation was fined in the 2022 World Cup for displaying a map of Serbia including the disputed territory of Kosovo with a "No Surrender" slogan.
Argentina's team had previously displayed the "Las Malvinas son Argentinas" slogan during a warm-up game in June 2014, for which the Argentine football federation was fined 30,000 Swiss francs (approximately $37,000) after the tournament concluded.
FIFA has been approached for comment. The organization's neutrality has also faced scrutiny during this World Cup, particularly concerning a decision involving U.S. player Folarin Balogun. FIFA president Gianni Infantino is expected to attend the World Cup final with Argentine President Javier Milei.