The British government has called on FIFA to investigate Argentina’s national team after players held up a banner referencing the Falkland Islands during celebrations following their 2-1 win over England in the World Cup semifinal.
The banner, handed to players by fans in Atlanta on Wednesday, read “Las Malvinas son Argentinas,” a phrase that translates to “The Malvinas are Argentine.”
Argentina uses the name Islas Malvinas for the British overseas territory, which was invaded by Argentine forces in 1982 under military rule, sparking a 10-week war that Britain won.
Downing Street Responds
A spokesperson for Prime Minister Keir Starmer said self-determination belongs to the islanders and that the government’s position on the Falklands remains firm. Starmer backed calls for FIFA to open an investigation.
Business Secretary Peter Kyle went further, telling the BBC that the players’ conduct was inappropriate and that politics should stay separate from football. He noted that keeping politics out of the sport is meant to be one of the tournament’s core principles, adding that the matter now sits with FIFA.
FIFA can act against Argentina’s federation and players because its disciplinary code bars political, ideological, religious or offensive messaging inside stadiums. In a statement to ESPN, FIFA said its Disciplinary Committee is reviewing match reports and weighing next steps under that code. Fines for political displays at past tournaments have ranged between roughly $5,000 and $20,000. Argentina was fined once before for the same slogan, after a 2014 friendly against Slovenia.
Argentina’s Government Defends the Players
President Javier Milei called the players’ actions valid and said the message reflects a view shared broadly across the country, though he acknowledged FIFA would likely respond with a fine. He said the players acted on emotion in the moment. Vice President Victoria Villarruel posted an image of the players holding the banner, writing that officials had barred fans from bringing signs into the stadium but could not stop what supporters carry in their hearts.
Defender Lisandro Martínez, who has spent four years playing in England with Manchester United, said the team could not let the Argentine public down. Midfielder Leandro Paredes called the banner a painful reminder of a difficult chapter in the countries’ shared history.
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Precedent and Timing Before the Final
FIFA has punished similar displays before. South Korean player Park Jong-Woo received a two-match ban ahead of the 2014 World Cup qualifiers after holding a sign claiming disputed islands during the 2012 Olympics.
UEFA also suspended Spain’s Rodri and Álvaro Morata for one match each following chants about Gibraltar after their Euro 2024 win. Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey has called for similar suspensions against the Argentine players involved before Sunday’s final.
Sources told ESPN that FIFA is unlikely to issue a ruling before the final against Spain, scheduled for Sunday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The conflict over the islands killed 649 Argentine troops, 255 British service members and three islanders in 1982, and tensions between the two nations around the territory remain unresolved more than four decades later.
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