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Argentina may face potential disciplinary action from FIFA after their players displayed a banner supporting their country’s claim to the Falkland Islands following a dramatic World Cup semi-final win against England.
The defending world champions secured a thrilling 2-1 victory in Atlanta, overturning a late deficit to book a place in Sunday’s final against Spain. Argentina scored twice in the closing moments of the match, producing a comeback that left fans and players celebrating wildly.
After the final whistle, Argentina players held up a banner reading “Las Malvinas son Argentinas”, which translates as “The Falklands are Argentine.” The gesture directly references the long-standing sovereignty dispute over the Falkland Islands, a British overseas territory located around 300 miles off Argentina’s east coast.
Argentina and Britain fought a 74-day war over the islands from April to June 1982, which resulted in the deaths of 655 Argentine and 255 British servicemen, along with three civilians from the islands.
FIFA has previously sanctioned the Argentine Football Association for similar conduct. In 2014, the governing body fined Argentina £20,000 after its players displayed the same message during a friendly against Slovenia, stating that such political gestures breached rules on political action and team misconduct.
A FIFA spokesperson said at the time that “teams must refrain from using matches as a platform for political statements.” It remains to be seen whether Argentina will face fines or other sanctions this time.
