Argentina players could face disciplinary action from FIFA after celebrating their 2026 World Cup semi-final victory over England by raising a banner supporting Argentina’s sovereignty over the Falkland Islands.The defending champions staged a dramatic comeback in Atalanta, scoring twice late on, to beat Thomas Tuchel’s England 2-1 and book their place in Sunday’s World Cup final against Spain.After the final whistle, Argentinian players celebrated holding a banner that read “Las Malvinas Sons Argentinos,” which translates to “The Falkland Islands are Argentina.”
Long-running Falklands dispute
The Falkland Islands are a British overseas territory in the South Atlantic. However, Argentina has long claimed sovereignty over the islands.The two countries fought a 74-day war over the islands from April to June 1982. The conflict claimed the lives of 655 Argentinian soldiers, 255 British soldiers and three islanders.This is not the first time Argentina has taken action on the issue. In 2014, FIFA fined the Argentine Football Association £20,000 after players displayed a banner with the same message before a friendly against Slovenia.At the time, world football’s governing body ruled the conduct breached its rules on political conduct and team misconduct.
Argentine Vice President responds
Argentine Vice President Victoria Villaruel celebrated the result on social media after Wednesday’s victory.“This is not just another game,” she wrote alongside a video that appeared to show Argentinian soldiers.She later added: “The Falkland Islands belong to Argentina. They ban them from the stadiums and forget that we carry them in our blood and in our hearts.”Before the semifinals, Villaruel also described the game as “putting the invaders in position.”The Argentinian player had earlier met football legends Diego Maradona and Lionel MessiAfter a dramatic 3-2 win over Egypt in the round of 16.Argentina faces Spain at MetLife Stadium on Sunday as it looks to become the third country to win in a row fifa world cup title.
